The early postnatal pattern of vesicle formation in different regions of the porcine small intestine (original) (raw)

Mechanisms involved in the development of the small intestine mucosal layer in postnatal piglets

Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2018

The use of complementary visualization and measurement techniques allowed accurate description and quantification of changes in the intestinal mucosal architecture and provided a comprehensive outlook on the dynamics of remodelling and maturation processes of the mucosal layer taking place in the small intestine of piglets from birth to weaning. The aim of the study was to examine the early postnatal development of the small intestine in pigs. Three techniques were used: scanning electron microscopy (measurements of villus density and shape, height of enterocytes and microvilli, cell exfoliation, and location of extrusion zones), optical microscopy (cross section, measurement of structures: villus length and width; crypt depth; mucosal thickness), and confocal microscopy (cell localization, apoptosis, exfoliation and migration). The postnatal development of the mucosal layer of the small intestine was reflected in changes in the density, length, width, and shape of villi, crypt dept...

Gradual disappearance of vacuolated enterocytes in the small intestine of neonatal piglets

Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2007

The unique feature of enterocytes in newborn mammals is the presence of an apical canalicular system (ACS) leading to production of large vacuoles, important for colostral macromolecule uptake. The vacuolated fetal-type enterocytes (VFE) enable transfer of colostral and milk proteins from the intestinal lumen across the epithelium without loosing their biological activity. First VFE are observed in the pig and lamb fetuses in the second trimester of pregnancy, located at the upper part of villi in the proximal region of the fetal small intestine and subsequently in the middle and distal regions. After birth the VFE are replaced with enterocytes lacking ACS. The present study aimed to investigate the depletion of VFE in the small intestine in the sow reared pig neonates during the first postnatal weeks using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM analysis demonstrated the gradual disappearance of vacuolated enterocytes in time. VFE remained in the jejunum for a few days after bi...

Changes in pig small intestinal absorptive area during the first 14days of life

Livestock Science, 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in small intestine absorptive area during the first 14 days of life in the pig. The duodenum and mid-jejunum were studied in a total of 16 piglets. Tissue samples were prepared for light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (ScEM) at days 0, 3, 7 and 14 of life. The changes in villi density, height and width, crypt depth, mucosa thickness and amount of transversal furrows were used to appraise the surface of absorptive area. According to LM data, villus length and width, crypt depth and mucosa thickness increases from day 0 to day 3, and decreases from day 3 to day 14. ScEM study showed that the villus density reduced from day 0 to day 14 in duodenum, and from day 0 to day 3 in mid-jejunum. The surface of absorptive area was increased almost 3-fold in the duodenum from day 3 to day 7 and more than 2-fold in the jejunum in the same period.

Age-related differences in mucosal barrier function and morphology of the small intestine in low and normal birth weight piglets

Journal of animal science, 2014

To test the hypothesis that the mucosal maturation of the small intestine is altered in low birth weight piglets, pairs of naturally suckled low birth weight (LBW, n = 20) and normal birth weight (NBW, n = 20) littermate piglets were selected and sampled after 0, 3, 10, and 28 d of suckling. In vivo intestinal permeability was evaluated via a lactulose-mannitol absorption test. Other indirect measurements for mucosal barrier functioning included sampling for histology and immunohistochemistry (intestinal trefoil factor [ITF]), measuring intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) activity, and immunoblotting for occludin, caspase-3, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The lactulose-mannitol ratio did not differ between NBW and LBW piglets, but a significant increase in this ratio was observed in 28-d-old piglets (P = 0.001). Small intestinal villus height did not differ with age (P = 0.02) or birth weight (P = 0.20). In contrast, villus width (P = 0.02) and crypt depth (P < ...

Assessment of intestinal macromolecular absorption in young piglets to pave the way to oral vaccination: preliminary results

Veterinary Research Communications, 2021

The small intestine of the piglet has evolved to be permeable immediately after birth to facilitate the uptake of colostrum-derived immunoglobulins as well as other macromolecules, and cells. However, the precise timing of gut closure in today’s precocious pig is not known. We gavaged piglets immediately after birth and at 1-h after birth with Cy5-labeled Ovalbumin (Cy5-Ova) then harvested their small intestine’s 6–7 h later. To assess localization of Cy5-Ova in the small intestinal epithelial cells, we performed immunohistochemistry using a basolateral surface marker and a recycling endosome marker called pIgR, the late endosomal marker Rab7, and the lysosomal marker LAMP-1. Cy5-Ova co-localized with Rab7 and LAMP-1 in the duodenum and jejunum of 0-h old and 1-h old gavaged piglets, but only in the ileum of 0-h gavaged piglets. These data suggest that movement of Cy5-Ova through the late endosomes to the lysosomes was much reduced in the ileum of 1-h gavaged piglets. Cy5-Ova was la...

Influence of age at weaning and feeding regimes on the postnatal morphology of the porcine small intestine: A review of morphometric studies

2015

The small intestinal mucosal epithelium is the interface between ingested nutrients and their distribution networks in the underlying vasculature and lymphatics. This review reports on the small intestinal mucosal surface changes in the piglet from birth to the time of natural weaning (> 54 days). Despite numerous publications on the morphological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract, there is limited comparability among these due to substantial methodological differences. The comparability of the methodological designs used in this review was achieved by relativizing the data to the day of weaning. Weaning at 35 days or later had little to no effect on the intestinal mucosa. Early weaning at 28, 21, 14, 5, 3, and 1 day after birth was associated with dramatic structural changes in the mucosa. A frequent observation after early weaning was prominent villus atrophy. While the crypt epithelium responds to redress these dramatic changes, villus recovery to near preweaning status may be slow. The earlier a piglet is weaned, the greater the villus atrophy and the longer the time to recovery. A causal relationship between reduced feed intake in the first days after weaning, independent of the diet, and the morphological alterations of the intestine is apparent.

Efeito da suplementação de colostro enriquecido sobre as características morfológicas da mucosa intestinal de bezerros neonatos

2008

Colostrum intake in neonatal calves is essential to obtain passive immunity and to influence metabolism, endocrine systems and the nutritional state. This study compares morphologic features of small intestine of calves fed a colostrum second meal at 12 hours of life with concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) higher than 100mg mL -1 (fresh colostrum or artificially prepared with addition of lyophilized colostrum) or smaller than 30mg mL -1 . Twenty-four Holstein calves were randomly grouped according to concentration of IgG intake at 12 hours of life: low (less than 30mg mL -1 ); high (more than 100mg mL -1 ); plus lyophilized colostrum (more than 120mg mL -1 ). Intestinal tissue samples were collected at 0, 10, 24 and 72 hours after birth to evaluate morphology in segments: duodenum; proximal, middle and distal jejunum and ileum by examined with a scanning electron microscope. Villi of all segments showed more organized and uniform morphology characteristics with age. Only the animals fed colostrum with more than 100mg mL -1 of IgG at 24 hours after birth still showed the distal jejunum villi disoriented and more united in comparison to the other ages and groups. Intake of lyophilized colostrum affected ileum morphology along experiment period. Higher concentration of immunologic and bioactive elements supplied for longer period of time could be responsible for promoting effects on the enterocytes. Use of colostrum with high IgG concentrations, with or without addition of lyophilized colostrum, influenced the precocity of the intestinal mucosa development in newborn calves, suggesting earlier maturation of the mucosa.

Nutritional and hormonal control of gut epithelium remodeling in neonatal piglets

Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 2005

The first days of life are crucial for the development of intestinal mucosa in mammalian neonates. Its development consists of tissue growth and maturation, in particular of the epithelium. During postnatal development, the first 24 h are the most important, as this is when intensive remodeling of epithelial cells linked with cell replacement and functional modification occurs. An infant's small intestine adapts to new digestive functions and feed. In this period, luminal and systemic hormones and growth factors play an important role. Sow colostrum and milk contain a high concentration of hormones and growth factors stimulating growth and maturation of small intestinal mucosa. Feeding animals milk formulas devoid of these bioactive factors slows down intestinal maturation in comparison with natural feeding by the mother. Recent studies demonstrate the great impact of nutritional, hormonal, paracrine and autocrine factors on epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation processes.

Light and scanning electron microscopy evaluation of the postnatal small intestinal mucosa development in pigs

Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 2005

Modifications in the structure of gastrointestinal mucosa is often used to evaluate gut function for instance during the development or in response to particular food components. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gives a chance to observe the surface of the gut epithelium in three dimensions. However, this technique is seldom used due to technical difficulties. The present study attempted to investigate the intestinal mucosa structure changes in the postnatal pig using light and scanning electron microscopy technique. Experiments were carried out on sow reared piglets from birth until 38 days of age. Piglets were sacrificed at birth and at the 3(rd), 7(th), 21(st) and 38(th) day of life. The entire gastrointestinal tract was immediately harvested and the whole thickness tissue samples were taken from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum for optical and scanning electron microscopy. SEM analyses corroborated with histometry made by optical microscopy. Moreover, a number of shape modifica...

How does the foetal gastrointestinal tract develop in preparation for enteral nutrition after birth?

Livestock Production Science, 2000

At birth, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) must be able to cope with the shift from parenteral nutrition before birth (via the placenta) to enteral nutrition after birth (oral colostrum / milk intake). In preparation for this event, the GIT grows and matures very rapidly in the weeks before birth. A series of studies in foetal pigs and sheep have shown that both hormonal and luminal factors influence this rapid phase of GIT development in farm animals. Among the potential hormonal regulators of development, cortisol plays a pivotal role. Thus, the normal developmental increases in stomach acid and gastrin secretion, and in certain enzyme activities (chymosin, pepsin, amylase, lactase, aminopeptidases), are stimulated by circulating cortisol. Cortisol also affects the intestinal absorption of immunoglobulins at birth but has limited effects on the GIT in the postnatal period. Ingestion of amniotic fluid by the foetus and of colostrum by the neonate also modulates GIT growth and enzyme activities. These effects may be mediated via luminal actions of growth factors, hormones and nutrients present in the fluids. However, luminal influences on the developing GIT are less pronounced in the foetus than in the neonate. In conclusion, both circulating and luminal factors affect prenatal GIT development to ensure that the foetal GIT is sufficiently mature to support the dramatic changes in nutrition that occur at birth.