Acetylsalicylic acid supplementation improves protein utilization efficiency while vitamin E supplementation reduces markers of the inflammatory response in weaned pigs challenged with enterotoxigenic E. coli

摘要

Background This experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that vitamin E (Vit E) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, will additively reduce the production of the immunosuppressive molecule prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and hence reduce inflammatory responses in weaner pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli . Methods The experiment was conducted in a research facility with 192 individually-housed male weaner pigs (Landrace × Large White) weighing 6.6?±?0.04?kg (mean?±?SEM). The pigs were experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli and were allocated to a 2?×?3 factorial design with the respective factors being without and with 125 ppm ASA and three levels of Vit E supplementation (50, 100 or 200?IU/kg diet, dl -α-tocopheryl acetate). Results Acetylsalicylic acid supplementation improved average daily gain ( P?2 production in the liver without affecting small intestinal histology and tight junction protein mRNA expression in the jejunal epithelium. Vitamin E supplementation greater than 100?IU/kg diet sustained both the plasma Vit E concentration ( P Conclusions Although ASA and vitamin E improved amino acid utilization efficiency and reduced acute inflammatory responses, ASA and vitamin E did not additively reduce production of PGE₂ and inflammatory responses in weaner pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli .