Significance of Mucosa-Associated Microbiota and Its Impacts on Intestinal Health of Pigs Challenged with F18⁺ <i>E. coli</i>

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota and its impacts on the intestinal health of pigs challenged with F18+ Escherichia coli. Forty-four newly-weaned pigs were allotted to two treatments in a randomized complete block design with sex as blocks. Pigs were fed common diets for 28 d. At d 7 post-weaning, pigs were orally inoculated with saline solution or F18+ E. coli. At d 21 post-challenge, feces and blood were collected and pigs were euthanized to collect jejunal tissue to evaluate microbiota and intestinal health parameters. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was lower (p p + E. coli increased (p Helicobacteraceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Xanthomonadaceae, and Peptostreptococcaceae and reduced (p Enterobacteriaceae, Campylobacteraceae, Brachyspiraceae, and Caulobacteraceae in jejunal mucosa, whereas it reduced (p Spirochaetaceae and Oscillospiraceae in feces. Collectively, jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota differed from those in feces. Compared with fecal microbiota, the change of mucosa-associated microbiota by F18+ E. coli was more prominent, and it was mainly correlated with increased protein carbonyl and reduced villus height in jejunal mucosa impairing the intestinal health of nursery pigs.

Keywords

• F18⁺ <i>Escherichia coli</i>
• intestinal health
• mucosa-associated microbiota
• nursery pigs