Influence of bovine colostrum on restoration of intestinal mucosa in weaned piglets

The immediate post-weaning period characterized by reduced feed intake induces gut structural alterations. A rapid mucosa restoration is essential for an optimal growth recovery in piglets. Bovine colostrum has been shown to prevent villous atrophy in mice and to stimulate mucosal healing in patients suffering from inflammatory gut disease. Therefore we evaluated the influence of bovine colostrum on mucosa restoration in weaned piglets. In trial 1, twenty-four piglets weaned at 21 days of age were fed a control diet or a diet supplemented with bovine colostrum for 7 or 14 days. Duodenal villous sizes and crypt cell proliferation were analysed. In trial 2, three piglets weaned at 28 days of age were fasted for 48 h. At slaughter duodenal explants were prepared and incubated for 24 h in medium containing BSA (control) or bovine colostrum. After RNA extraction from cultured tissues, real time PCR was performed in order to quantify the transcription of genes involved in proliferation (Proliferative Cellular Nucleic Antigen,PCNA), migration (Trefoil Factor 3, TFF3) and pro- and anti-apoptotic (Bax and Bcl-xl, respectively) pathways. In trial 1, bovine colostrum-supplemented diet increased duodenal villous perimeter (+8%; Pb0.05), but not crypt cell proliferation, whereas it numerically increased the duodenal mucosa/muscularis ratio (+18%; P=0.19). In trial 2, transcription of TFF3 (+228%; P=0.07)and Bcl-xl (+62%; Pb0.01) genes was greater in presence of colostrum. Hence, bovine colostrum improved mucosa restoration by stimulating migration and limiting apoptosis