Bile Acid Metabolic Profiles and Their Correlation with Intestinal Epithelial Cell Proliferation and Barrier Integrity in Suckling Piglets
by
,
Min Zhu
1,
Chong Lin
2,
Kaimin Niu
2,
Yichun Liu
2,
Weirong Zeng
2,
Ruxia Wang
2,
Xiongchang Guo
2 and
Zhenya Zhai
2,* 1
Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
2
Jiangxi Functional Feed Additive Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Biological Resource, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 330096, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020287
Submission received: 6 December 2023
/
Revised: 29 December 2023
/
Accepted: 12 January 2024
/
Published: 17 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Pigs)
Simple Summary
Bile acids (BAs) play an essential role in nutrient absorption and intestinal development for piglets. However, there remains a lack of clarity on the metabolic changes in BAs in piglets after birth and their relationship with intestinal development. This study found significant changes in BA metabolism in piglets after birth. In comparison with newborn piglets (NPs), the total serum BA content was increased for suckling piglets (SPs). Furthermore, the metabolic changes in BAs were highly correlated with the expression of genes related to BA receptors and the regulation of intestinal proliferation and barrier integrity, thereby laying the groundwork for the nutritional regulation of suckling piglets. This can also provide more insights into how the economic benefits of pig farming could be increased.
Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) are crucial for maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis. However, the metabolic changes in BAs and the communication between intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in infants after birth remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the BA profiles of newborn piglets (NPs) and suckling piglets (SPs), and to investigate their regulatory effects on IEC proliferation and barrier integrity, as well as the potential underlying mechanisms. In this study, compared with NPs, there were significant increases in serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, glucose, and albumin levels for SPs. The total serum BA content in SPs exhibited an obvious increase. Moreover, the expression of BA synthase cytochrome P450 27A1 (CYP27A1) was increased, and the ileal BA receptor Takeda G-coupled protein receptor 5 (TGR5) and proliferation marker Ki-67 were upregulated and showed a strong positive correlation through a Spearman correlation analysis, whereas the expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and occludin was markedly downregulated in SPs and also revealed a strong positive correlation. These findings indicate that the increased synthesis and metabolism of BAs may upregulate TGR5 and downregulate FXR to promote IEC proliferation and influence barrier function; this offers a fresh perspective and evidence for the role of BAs and BA receptors in regulating intestinal development in neonatal pigs.
