AUTHOR=Liu Han , Zhao Jing , Zhang Wenju , Nie Cunxi 

TITLE=Impacts of sodium butyrate on intestinal mucosal barrier and intestinal microbial community in a weaned piglet model

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1041885

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.1041885

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>Butyrate is thought to enhance intestinal mucosal homeostasis, but the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, further investigation on the mechanism of butyrate regulation of intestinal mucosal homeostasis was performed.</p></sec><sec><title>Materials and methods</title><p>This study used weaned piglets with similar intestinal metabolic function to humans as a research model. The dietary supplemented 0.2% sodium butyrate group (0.2% S) and negative control group (CON) were established to detect the effects of butyrate on growth performance, intestinal tissue morphology, mucosal barrier function, and intestinal microbial community structure in weaned piglets.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>There was an increase in average daily gain (ADG) during three different experimental periods and a reduction in average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) during days 1–35 and days 15–35 in 0.2% S compared with CON (<italic>P</italic> &gt; 0.05). Furthermore, villus height in the ileum and duodenum was increased, and crypt depths in the colon and jejunum were reduced in both groups (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the ratio of villus height and crypt depth (V/C) in 0.2% S both in the ileum and jejunum was significantly increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) compared with CON. The relative mRNA expression of <italic>PKC</italic>, <italic>MUC1</italic>, <italic>CLDN1</italic>, and <italic>ITGB1</italic> was upregulated in the ileum of 0.2% S compared with CON (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The digesta samples of 0.2% S, both in the ileum (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) and colon, contained greater intestinal bacterial abundance and diversity of probiotics, including <italic>Lactobacillus</italic>, <italic>Streptococcus</italic>, <italic>Megasphaera</italic>, and <italic>Blautia</italic>, which promoted amino acid metabolism and energy production and conversion in the colon and the synthesis of carbon-containing biomolecules in the ileum.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>In summary, dietary supplementation with 0.2% sodium butyrate was shown to have a tendency to improve the growth performance of weaned piglets and enhance intestinal mucosal barrier function <italic>via</italic> altering the gut microbiota.</p></sec>