We studied the interaction between deoxynivalenol (DON)-feeding and a subsequent pre- and post-hepatic immune stimulus with the hypothesis that the liver differently mediates the acute phase reaction (APR) in pigs. Barrows (
n = 44) were divided into a DON-(4.59 mg DON/kg feed)
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We studied the interaction between deoxynivalenol (DON)-feeding and a subsequent pre- and post-hepatic immune stimulus with the hypothesis that the liver differently mediates the acute phase reaction (APR) in pigs. Barrows (
n = 44) were divided into a DON-(4.59 mg DON/kg feed) and a control-diet group, surgically equipped with permanent catheters pre- (
V. portae hepatis) and post-hepatic (
V. jugularis interna) and infused either with 0.9% NaCl or LPS (7.5 µg/kg BW). Thus, combination of diet (CON
vs. DON) and infusion (CON
vs. LPS, jugular
vs. portal) created six groups: CON_CON
jug.-CON
por., CON_CON
jug.-LPS
por., CON_LPS
jug.-CON
por., DON_CON
jug.-CON
por., DON_CON
jug.-LPS
por., DON_LPS
jug.-CON
por.. Blood samples were taken at −30, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150, 180 min relative to infusion and analyzed for leukocytes and TNF-alpha. Concurrently, clinical signs were scored and body temperature measured during the same period. LPS as such induced a dramatic rise in TNF-alpha (
p < 0.001), hyperthermia (
p < 0.01), and severe leukopenia (
p < 0.001). In CON-fed pigs, an earlier return to physiological base levels was observed for the clinical complex, starting at 120 min
post infusionem (
p < 0.05) and persisting until 180 min. DON_LPS
jug.-CON
por. resulted in a lower temperature rise (
p = 0.08) compared to CON_LPS
jug.-CON
por.. In conclusion, APR resulting from a post-hepatic immune stimulus was altered by chronic DON-feeding.
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