Browsing by Subject "Swine"
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- PublicationOpen AccessChanges in alpha-amylase activity, concentration and isoforms in pigs after an experimental acute stress model: an exploratory study(2018-08-29) Contreras Aguilar, María Dolores; Martínez Subiela, Silvia; Martínez Miró, Silvia; Cerón Madrigal, José Joaquín; Tecles Vicente, Fernando; Medicina y Cirugía Animal; Department of Food and Animal Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBackground: Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is considered a non-invasive biomarker of acute stress that can be evaluated by changes in activity and concentration, and also by changes in its isoforms, although this last way of evaluation has never been used in veterinary medicine. This research evaluated the changes of sAA by three different ways in which sAA can be evaluated in an experimental acute stress model in six pigs based in a technique of temporarily restraining. These ways of evaluation were 1) activity by a spectrophotometric assay, 2) concentration by a fluorometric assay, and 3) isoforms of the enzyme by a Western blot. Results: Although salivary cortisol significantly increased due to the stimulus of stress and all the pigs manifested signs of stress by high-pitched vocalization, sAA activity showed an increase of different degree in the six pigs after the stress stimulus, while sAA concentration showed decreases in four of the six pigs. sAA activity did not correlate with sAA concentration or salivary cortisol, and a low correlation was observed between sAA concentration and salivary cortisol (r= 0.48, p = 0.003). The inter-individual variability was higher in sAA activity than in sAA concentration and salivary cortisol. Finally, three possible isoforms of sAA at 154-160 kDa, 65-66 kDa and 59-60 kDa were observed that showed different dynamics after the stress induction. Conclusions: Although this pilot study's results should be taken with caution due to the low sample size, it reveals a different behavior between sAA activity and concentration in pig after an acute stressful stimulus leading to evident external signs of stress by high-pitched vocalization, and opens a new field for the evaluation of possible selected isoforms of sAA as potential biomarkers of stress.
- PublicationOpen AccessDetection of PR-39, a porcine host defence peptide, in different cell sub-linages in pigs infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2017) Gabner, S.; Egerbacher, M.; Gasse, H.; Hewicker Trautwein, M.; Höltig, D.; Waldmann, K. H.; Blecha, F.; Saalmüller, A.; Hennig Pauka, I.Innate immunity is critically important for the outcome of infection in many diseases. It was previously shown that cathelicidin PR-39, an important porcine multifunctional host defence peptide, is elevated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and respiratory tract tissue after experimental infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A.pp.). To date, neutrophil polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) are thought to be the only source of PR-39. The aim of this study was to further characterize PR39+ cells and selected immune cell populations in lung tissue during the peracute (7-10 hours), acute (2 days), reconvalescent (7 days) and chronic (21 days) stages of experimental infection with A.pp. serotype 2. In total, six mock-infected control pigs and 12 infected pigs were examined. Using immunofluorescence double-labeling, antibodies against PR-39 were combined with antibodies against CD3 (T-cells), CD79 (B-cells), Iba1 (activated macrophages), TTF-1 (lung epithelial cells expressing surfactant proteins), macrophage/L1 protein and myeloperoxidase (MPO, cells of the myeloid linage). In the peracute and acute phases of infection, total PR-39+ cells and myeloid linage cells increased, whereas CD3+ cells and TTF-1+ cells decreased. Double labeling revealed that most Macrophage/L1 protein+ cells and to a lesser extent MPO+ cells co-expressed PR-39. In addition, few bronchial epithelial cells and type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (both identified with TTF-1) produced PR-39. Occasionally, CD3+ T cells expressing PR-39 were seen in infected animals. Taken together, this study identifies cell types, other than PMNs, in lungs of A.pp.-infected pigs that are capable of producing PR-39. In addition, these findings provide further insights into the dynamics of different immune cell populations during A.pp.-infection.
- PublicationOpen AccessEffects of a probiotic on the morphology and mucin composition of pig intestine(Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2019) Desantis, Salvatore; Mastrodonato, Maria; Accogli, Gianluca; Rossi, Giacomo; Crovace, Alberto MariaAlthough the use of probiotics in human and animal medicine is growing, their mode of action remains poorly understood. This study examined the effects of a multi-strain probiotic (SLAB51™) on the morphology and carbohydrate composition of mucins secreted by goblet cells of intestinal crypts in growingfinishing pigs. Sections of duodenum, caecum and colon from pigs fed for 12 weeks with an orally administered control basal diet (No-Pro) or one with a probiotic blend (Pro) were processed for microscopic analysis and stained with (1) haematoxylin-eosin for structural and morphometrical investigation; (2) conventional histochemistry (periodic acid-Schiff, Alcian Blue pH 2.5, high iron diamine staining) for neutral, acidic nonsulphated, and sulphated mucin analysis; and (3) FITClabelled MAA-II and SNA lectins for α2,3- and α2,6- sialomucin identification. Compared with No-Pro samples, Pro samples displayed (1) increased goblet cell numbers in all investigated tract crypts; (2) an increase in acidic non-sulphomucins but a decrease in neutral, sulphated and α2,6-sialomucin-secreting goblet cells in the duodenum; (3) decreased crypt depth, an increase in α2,6-sialomucin secretory goblet cells, and a loss of goblet cell-secreting α2,3-sialomucins, which appeared on the apical surface of crypt fundus epithelial cells in the caecum; and (4) an increase in α2,6-sialomucinproducing goblet cells in the colon. Results suggest that treatment with SLAB51™ induces region-specific changes in the morphology and carbohydrate composition of mucins secreted along intestinal tracts of growing-finishing pigs. These changes could ameliorate the health status of the animals, which displayed higher growth performance and meat quality than controls (Tufarelli et al., 2017).
- PublicationOpen AccessPerformance validation of quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays for measuring swine proinflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokine gene expression(Universidad de Murcia, 2015) García-Nicolás, Obdulio; Juan José Quereda; Jaime Gómez-Laguna; Irene Magdalena Rodríguez-Gómez; Librado Carrasco; Guillermo Ramis; Francisco José PallarésABSTRACT: RT-qPCR is the method of choice for the accurate detection of low quantities of mRNA due to its higher sensitivity and specificity. Most of the previously published reports about swine cytokine gene expression lack information regarding the validation of the technique, which impedes the potential implementation by new users. This study was focussed on the technical validation of already published RT-qPCR assays for swine proinflammatory (IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-12p35, IL-12p40 and TNF-α) and immunomodulatory (IL-10 and TGF-β) cytokines, and on defining the best qPCR amplification conditions for simultaneous amplification of the selected cytokines from several porcine tissue samples. The tested RT-qPCR assays here are sensitive (Efficient close to 2, Correlation coefficient higher than 0.95 and a Limit Of Detection below 305-100 mRNA copies), robust (Coefficint of Variation and Factor of Discrimination means were lower than 5 and 3%, respectively) and highly useful for the study of immune swine responses.
- PublicationRestrictedSalivary D-dimer in pigs: Validation of an automated assay and changes after acute stress(Elsevier, 2020-05-31) López Martínez, M. J.; Escribano, D.; Contreras Aguilar, M. D.; García Martínez, Juan Diego; Martínez Subiela, S.; Cerón, J. J.; Medicina y Cirugía AnimalD-dimer is a peptide found in serum and is derived from the degradation of blood clots. Even though it has been analysed in human saliva, D-dimer has not been previously evaluated in the saliva of any veterinary species, and its source and role remain unknown. The objectives of this research were firstly, to validate the use of an automated method for the measurement of D-dimer in porcine saliva, and secondly, to evaluate whether D-dimer concentration changes in pig saliva after an acute stress stimulus. For this purpose, a complete analytical validation of a commercially-available immunoturbidimetric assay was carried out. In addition, an experimental acute stress model was induced in 11 pigs based on a technique involving restraint by nose-snare immobilisation for 1 min. Saliva samples were subsequently collected at different times and D-dimer, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol were assessed in order to evaluate changes in its concentrations after the stress induction. The D-dimer automated assay showed adequate reproducibility and sensitivity, with coefficients of variation below 10% and a limit of quantification of 0.167 μg/mL fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU). It also showed a high accuracy, determined by linearity under dilution and recovery tests. In the stress model, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in salivary D-dimer 15 min after the stress stimulus and a positive correlation between D-dimer and sAA (r = 0.51; P < 0.001) were observed. These results indicate that D-dimer can be measured in porcine saliva with an automated method and suggest that its concentration can be influenced by stressful conditions.
- PublicationOpen AccessScanning electron microscopy of swine lymphoid organs(Murcia : F. Hernández, 1990) Ramos, José; Ramis, Antonio J.; Rabanal, Rosa M.; Marco, Alberto; Domingo, Mariano; Ferrer, Luis M.The aim of this investigation was to study by scanning electron microscopy the structure of several swine lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, Peyer's patches, and tonsil). Two groups of animals were used: sixmonth- old pigs and six- to nine-day-old piglets. Samples were jet-washed to eliminate most free cells in order to observe the reticular framework of these organs more clearly. Peyer's patches in piglets showed two types of villi. In one of them the cellular types were absorptive cells and goblet cells. The second type of villi were shorter and wider, with M cells characterized by presenting long, thick microvilli over their surfaces. Peyer's patches of pigs did not show this second type of villi but were usually covered by absorptive villi. The soft palate tonsil was similar in both groups of animals with its surface epithelia1 cells full of microfolds, partially and frequently obscured by microorganisms. The appearance of the surface epithelium in the same crypt was different depending on the area. There was a large number of holes through which cells apparently passed towards the crypt lumen. The medulla in the lymph nodes was at the periphery and showed a dense reticular framework. Cortex-like lymphoid tissue was formed by lymphoid follides and diffuse lymphoid tissue with high endothelid venules and lymphatic sinuses. The serosal surface of lymphoid organs was formed either by a typical mesothelial cell layer (small intestine) or by loosely arranged connective fibers (lymph nodes).