Effect of fructo-oligosaccharides and different doses of Bifidobacterium animalis in a weaning diet on bacterial translocation and Toll-like receptor gene expression in pigs

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 24; no. 10; pp. 1023 - 1029
• Main Authors: Trevisi, Paolo, De Filippi, Sara, Minieri, Laura, Mazzoni, Maurizio, Modesto, Monica, Biavati, Bruno, Bosi, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2008; [New York]: Elsevier Science Inc; Elsevier
• Subjects: administration & dosage; analysis; animal models; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Bacteria; Bacterial Translocation; Bacterial Translocation - drug effects; Bacterial Translocation - physiology; Bifidobacteria; Bifidobacterium; Bifidobacterium - growth & development; Bifidobacterium animalis; Biological and medical sciences; biosynthesis; chromosome translocation; Colony Count, Microbial; commensalism; DNA, Bacterial; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; dose response; drug effects; experimental diets; Feeding. Feeding behavior; fructooligosaccharides; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics; genes; genetics; growth & development; Immunity; Intestinal barrier; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Liver; Liver - microbiology; Lymph Nodes; Lymph Nodes - microbiology; Mesenteric lymph nodes; metabolism; microbiology; nutrition-genotype interaction; Oligosaccharides; Oligosaccharides - administration & dosage; Oligosaccharides - pharmacology; pharmacology; physiology; piglets; prebiotics; probiotics; Probiotics - administration & dosage; Probiotics - pharmacology; Random Allocation; Swine; synergism; Toll-Like Receptor 2; Toll-Like Receptor 2 - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptor 2 - genetics; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Toll-Like Receptor 4 - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptor 4 - genetics; Toll-like receptor gene; Toll-Like Receptors; Toll-Like Receptors - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptors - genetics; Translocation; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Weaning; weaning diet; weanlings; Translocation; Intestinal barrier; Bifidobacteria; Mesenteric lymph nodes; Immunity; Weaning; Eubacteria; Bifidobacteriaceae; Barrier; Actinobacteria; Bacteria; Bifidobacteriales; Dose; Ungulata; Biological receptor; Bifidobacterium; Lymph node; Digestive system; Oligosaccharide; Gut; Gene expression; Feeding; Pig; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Actinobacteridae; Bacteriosis; Artiodactyla
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2008.04.008

Our aim was to study the possible synergic action of one prebiotic with increasing dietary doses of a probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium animalis on the translocation of bifidobacteria and on Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene expression in different organs of weaned piglets. Sixty-four pigs, reared from 21 to 35 d of age, were fed eight different diets according to a 2 × 4 factorial design: a control diet or the control diet supplemented with three different levels of B. animalis (10 7, 10 9, 10 11 colony-forming units/d), crossed with 0% or 2% sugar beet fructo-oligosaccharides. Pigs were then sacrificed, and the jejunum mucosa, ileocecal lymph nodes, and liver were sampled to determine the presence of Bifidobacterium spp. DNA and to quantify the expression of TLR2-, TLR4-, and tumor necrosis factor-α–encoding genes. We found Bifidobacterium spp. genus-specific DNA in lymph nodes of subjects from all dietary treatments, including the control diet, but it increased with the bifidobacteria oral dose ( P = 0.065). The linear effect of the dose of B. animalis on the expression of the TLR2-encoding gene in the lymph nodes was observed when fructo-oligosaccharides were added to the diet ( P < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-α–encoding gene expression was positively correlated with TLR4- and TLR2-encoding gene expressions ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) and negatively correlated with bifidobacteria DNA ( P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression of the TLR4-encoding gene showed a positive correlation with TLR2-encoding gene expression ( P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no correlation between expressions of the TLR2- and TLR4-encoding genes with the bifidobacteria DNA. Soon after weaning, the translocation of the commensal bacteria in the ileocecal lymph nodes is a physiologic process. Moreover, diet affects the expression of the TLR2-encoding gene.