Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 administration improves the intestinal health and immunity in neonatal piglets infected by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88

• Published in: Journal of animal science and biotechnology 2019-08, Vol.10 (1), p.72-72, Article 72
• Main Authors: Peng, Xie, Wang, Ru, Hu, Liang, Zhou, Qiang, Liu, Yang, Yang, Min, Fang, Zhengfeng, Lin, Yan, Xu, Shengyu, Feng, Bin, Li, Jian, Jiang, Xuemei, Zhuo, Yong, Li, Hua, Wu, De, Che, Lianqiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Bacteria; Blood; CD8 antigen; Colostrum; Diarrhea; Diet; E coli; Enterococcus faecium; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88; Escherichia coli; Feces; Goblet cells; Gut microbiota; IL-1β; Ileum; Immune response; Immune system; Immunity; Immunology; Innate immunity; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Jejunum; Litter size; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Microbiota; mRNA; Mucosa; Neonatal piglets; Neonates; Oral administration; Peripheral blood; Physical growth; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 1674-9782; 2049-1891; 2049-1891
• DOI: 10.1186/s40104-019-0376-z

This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral administration of NCIMB 10415 ( ) on intestinal development, immunological parameters and gut microbiota of neonatal piglets challenged with enterotoxigenic K88 (ETEC). A total of 96 1-day-old sow-reared piglets were randomly assigned to 2 groups, with 48 piglets in each group. The piglets were from 16 litters (6 piglets each litter), and 3 piglets each litter were allocated to the -supplemented (PRO) group, while the other 3 piglets were allocated to the control (CON) group. After colostrum intake, piglets in the PRO group were orally administrated with 3 × 10  CFU per day for a period of one week. On day 8, one piglet per litter from each group was challenged (CON+ETEC, PRO+ETEC) or not (CON-ETEC, PRO-ETEC) with ETEC in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. On day 10 (2 days after challenge), blood and tissue samples were obtained from piglets. Before ETEC challenge, there were no significant differences for the average daily gain (ADG) and fecal score between the two groups of piglets. After ETEC challenge, the challenged piglets had greater fecal score compared to the non-challenged piglets, whereas administration was able to decrease the fecal score. Piglets challenged with ETEC had shorter villous height, deeper crypt depth, and reduced number of goblet cells in the jejunum and decreased mRNA abundance of in the ileum, whereas increased the percentage of lymphocytes, concentrations of IL-1β in the plasma and TNF-α in the ileal mucosa, as well as increased the mRNA abundances of innate immunity-related genes in the ileum tissue. These deleterious effects caused by ETEC were partly alleviated by feeding . In addition, piglets in PRO-ETEC group had decreased the percentage of CD8 T cells of the peripheral blood when compared to those in CON-ETEC group. Moreover, administration increased Verrucomicrobia at phylum level and decreased at genus level. These results suggest that oral administration of alleviated the intestinal injury and diarrhea severity of neonatal piglets challenged by ETEC, partly through improving the intestinal microbiota and immune response. This offers a potential strategy of dietary intervention against intestinal impairment by ETEC in neonatal piglets.