Weaning Stress in Piglets Alters the Expression of Intestinal Proteins Involved in Fat Absorption

Yu He; Ning Liu; Yun Ji; Patrick Tso; Zhenlong Wu

doi:10.1093/jn/nxac177

Weaning Stress in Piglets Alters the Expression of Intestinal Proteins Involved in Fat Absorption

J Nutr. 2022 Nov;152(11):2387-2395. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxac177. Epub 2022 Aug 11.

Authors

Yu He¹, Ning Liu², Yun Ji¹, Patrick Tso³, Zhenlong Wu⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: bio2046@hotmail.com.

PMID: 36774105
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac177

Abstract

Background: In vivo data on intestinal fat absorption in weanling piglets are scarce.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of weaning stress on intestinal fat absorption.

Methods: Eighteen 7-d-old sow-reared piglets (Duroc-Landrace-Yorkshire) were assigned to 3 groups (n = 6/group, 3 males and 3 females per group). Piglets were nursed by sows until 24 d of age (suckling piglets, S), or weaned at 21 d of age to a corn-soybean meal-based diet until 24 d (3 d postweaning, W3) or 28 d (7 d postweaning, W7) of age, respectively. Duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were collected to determine intestinal morphology and abundance of proteins related to fat absorption.

Results: Compared with the S group, the W3 group had lower villus height (17-34%) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (13-53%), as well as 1-1.45 times greater crypt depth; these values were 1.18-1.31, 0.69-1.15, and 1.47-1.87 times greater in the W7 group than in the W3 group, respectively. Compared with the S group, weaning stress for both W3 and W7 groups reduced intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity (26-73%), serum lipids (26-54%), and abundances of proteins related to fatty acid transport [fatty acid transport protein 4 (FATP4) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP)] and chylomicron assembly [microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP), apolipoprotein A-IV (APOA4), B (APOB), and A-I (APOA1)] in the duodenum and ileum (10-55%), as well as in the jejunum (25-85%). All these indexes did not differ between W3 and W7 groups. Compared with the S group, the W3 group had lower mRNA abundances of duodenal APOA4 and APOA1 (25-50%), as well as jejunal FATP4, IFABP, MTTP, APOA4, and APOA1 (35-50%); these values were 5-15% and 10-37% lower in the W7 group than in the W3 group, respectively.

Conclusions: Weaning stress in piglets attenuates the expression of intestinal proteins related to fatty acid transport (FATP4 and I-FABP) and chylomicron synthesis (APOA4).

Keywords: chylomicron; fatty acid absorption; piglets; small intestine; weaning stress.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Dietary Supplements
Fatty Acids / metabolism
Female
Intestinal Absorption
Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
Intestines*
Jejunum*
Male
Swine
Weaning

Substances

W 7
Fatty Acids