CD4+ T-cell responses and distribution at the colonic mucosa during Brachyspira hyodysenteriae-induced colitis in pigs

Crosstalk between trace elements and T-cell immunity during early-life health in pigs

With gradual ban on the use of antibiotics, the deficiency and excessive use of trace elements in intestinal health is gaining attention. In mammals, trace elements are essential for the development of the immune system, specifically T-cell proliferation, and differentiation. However, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of the effects of certain trace elements on T-cell immune phenotypes and functions in pigs. In this review, we summarize the specificity, development, subpopulations, and responses to pathogens of porcine T cells and the effects of functional trace elements (e.g., iron, copper, zinc, and selenium) on intestinal T-cell immunity during early-life health in pigs. Furthermore, we discuss the current trends of research on the crosstalk mechanisms between trace elements and T-cell immunity. The present review expands our knowledge of the association between trace elements and T-cell immunity and provides an opportunity to utilize the metabolism of trace elements as a target to treat various diseases.

An avirulent Brachyspira hyodysenteriae strain elicits intestinal IgA and slows down spread of swine dysentery

Swine dysentery caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, results in substantial economic losses in swine producing countries worldwide. Although a number of different vaccine approaches have been explored with regard to this disease, they show limitations and none of them have reached the market. We here determine the vaccine potential of a weakly haemolytic B. hyodysenteriae strain. The virulence of this strain was assessed in experimental infection trials and its protection against swine dysentery was quantified in a vaccination-challenge experiment using a seeder infection model. Systemic IgG production and local IgA production were monitored in serum and faeces respectively. Across all trials, pigs that were colonized by virulent, strongly haemolytic B. hyodysenteriae strains consistently developed swine dysentery, in contrast to none of the pigs colonized by the weakly haemolytic B. hyodysenteriae vaccine strain. In the seeder vaccination trial nearly all immunised animals developed swine dysentery on subsequent challenge with a virulent strain, but the speed of spread of swine dysentery and faecal score were significantly reduced in animals immunised with the weakly haemolytic strain compared to sham-immunised animals. The IgA response of immunised animals upon challenge with a virulent B. hyodysenteriae strain significantly correlated to a later onset of disease. The correlation between local IgA production and protection induced by a weakly haemolytic B. hyodysenteriae strain provides leads for future vaccine development against swine dysentery.

Diverse Intestinal Bacteria Contain Putative Zwitterionic Capsular Polysaccharides with Anti-inflammatory Properties

Zwitterionic capsular polysaccharides (ZPSs) are bacterial products that modulate T cells, including inducing anti-inflammatory IL-10-secreting T regulatory cells (Tregs). However, only a few diverse bacteria are known to modulate the host immune system via ZPS. We present a genomic screen for bacteria encoding ZPS molecules. We identify diverse host-associated bacteria, including commensals and pathogens with known anti-inflammatory properties, with the capacity to produce ZPSs. Human mononuclear cells stimulated with lysates from putative ZPS-producing bacteria induce significantly greater IL-10 production and higher proportions of Tregs than lysates from non-ZPS-encoding relatives or a commensal strain of Bacteroides cellulosilyticus in which a putative ZPS biosynthetic operon was genetically disrupted. Similarly, wild-type B. cellulosilyticus DSM 14838, but not a close relative lacking a putative ZPS, attenuated experimental colitis in mice. Collectively, this screen identifies bacterial strains that may use ZPSs to interact with the host as well as those with potential probiotic properties.

Effect of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinase enzymes in rectal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to determine the effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymes in rectal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiothetrapy.

METHOD AND MATERIAL

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 34 volunteer patients with rectal cancer undergoing chemoradiotherapy assigned into the CLA group (n = 16), receiving 3 g CLA/d, and placebo group (n = 18) receiving placebo capsules (sunflower oil) for 6 weeks. The supplementation began 1 week before starting RT (loading period) and continued every day during treatment. Before and after intervention, serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, MMP-2, MMP-9, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and immunoturbidimetric method, respectively. Independent t tests and paired t tests were used to compare parameters between and within groups, respectively.

RESULTS

In the CLA group, the mean serum TNF-α, IL-1β, hsCRP, MMP-9, and MMP-2 levels reduced insignificantly. However, significant changes in TNF-α (P = 0.04), hsCRP (P = 0.03), and MMP-9 (P = 0.04) concentrations were observed in the CLA group when compared with the placebo group. The mean serum IL-6 level remained unchanged in the CLA group but increased remarkably in the placebo group.

CONCLUSION

According to our results, CLA supplementation improved inflammatory factors, MMP-2, and MMP-9 as biomarkers of angiogenesis and tumor invasion. It seems that CLA may provide new complementary treatment by reducing tumor invasion and resistance to cancer treatment in patients with rectal cancer.

Nutritional protective mechanisms against gut inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a debilitating and widespread immune-mediated illness characterized by excessive inflammatory and effector mucosal responses leading to tissue destruction at the gastrointestinal tract. Interactions among the immune system, the commensal microbiota and the host genotype are thought to underlie the pathogenesis of IBD. However, the precise etiology of IBD remains unknown. Diet-induced changes in the composition of the gut microbiome can modulate the induction of regulatory versus effector immune responses at the gut mucosa and improve health outcomes. Therefore, manipulation of gut microbiota composition and the local production of microbial-derived metabolites by using prebiotics, probiotics and dietary fibers is being explored as a promising avenue of prophylactic and therapeutic intervention against gut inflammation. Prebiotics and fiber carbohydrates are fermented by resident microflora into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon. SCFAs then activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, a nuclear transcription factor with widely demonstrated anti-inflammatory efficacy in experimental IBD. The activation of PPARγ by naturally ocurring compounds such as conjugated linoleic acid, pomegranate seed oil-derived punicic acid, eleostearic acid and abscisic acid has been explored as nutritional interventions that suppress colitis by directly modulating the host immune response. The aim of this review is to summarize the status of innovative nutritional interventions against gastrointestinal inflammation, their proposed mechanisms of action, preclinical and clinical efficacy as well as bioinformatics and computational modeling approaches that accelerate discovery in nutritional and mucosal immunology research.

PB, Butler J, Uc A. An activated immune and inflammatory response targets the pancreas of newborn pigs with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In cystic fibrosis (CF), pancreatic disease begins in utero and progresses over time to complete destruction of the organ. Although inflammatory cells have been detected in the pancreas of humans and pigs with CF, their subtypes have not been characterized.

METHODS

Using four-color flow cytometry, we analyzed the surface antigens of leukocytes in pancreas, blood, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of newborn pigs with CF (CFTR(-/-) and CFTR(Δ)(F508/)(Δ)(F508)) and in those without CF (CFTR(+/-), CFTR(+/)(Δ)(F508), CFTR(+/+)). Pancreatic histopathology was examined with HE stain.

RESULTS

CF pig pancreas had patchy distribution of inflammatory cells with neutrophils/macrophages in dilated acini, and lymphocytes in the interstitium compared to non-CF. B cells, effector (MHC-II(+)) and cytotoxic (CD2(+)CD8(+)) γδ T cells, activated (MHC-II(+) and/or CD25(+)) and effector (CD4(+)CD8(+)) αβ T helper cells, effector natural killer cells (MHC-II(+)CD3(-)CD8(+)), and monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils were increased in the CF pig pancreas compared to pigs without CF. Blood and MLN leukocyte populations were not different between CF and non-CF pigs.

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered an activated immune response that was specific to the pancreas of newborn CF pigs; inflammation was not systemic. The presence of both innate and adaptive immune cells suggests that the disease process is complex and extensive.

Development of γδ T cell subset responses in gnotobiotic pigs infected with human rotaviruses and colonized with probiotic lactobacilli

γδ T cell responses are induced by various viral and bacterial infections. Different γδ T cells contribute to activation and regulation of the inflammatory response and to epithelial repair. How γδ T cells respond to rotavirus infection and how the colonization of probiotics influences the γδ T cell response were unknown. In this study, we evaluated by multicolor flow cytometry the frequencies and distribution of total γδ T cells and three major subsets (CD2-CD8-, CD2+CD8- and CD2+CD8+) in ileum, spleen and blood of gnotobiotic (Gn) pigs at early (3-5 days) and late phases (28 days) after rotavirus infection. The Gn pigs were inoculated with the virulent human rotavirus Wa strain and colonized with a mixture of two strains of probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri. In naïve pigs, the highest frequency of total γδ T cells was found in blood, followed by spleen and ileum at the early age (8-10 days old) whereas in older pigs (32 days of age) the highest frequency of total γδ T cells was found in ileum and spleen followed by blood. Rotavirus infection significantly increased frequencies of intestinal total γδ T cells and the putatively regulatory CD2+CD8+ γδ T cell subset and decreased frequencies of the putatively proinflammatory CD8- subsets in ileum, spleen and blood at post-infection days (PID) 3 or 5. The three γδ T cell subsets distributed and responded differently after rotavirus infection and/or lactobacilli colonization. The CD2+CD8+ subset contributed the most to the expansion of total γδ T cells after rotavirus infection in ileum because more than 77% of the total γδ T cells there were CD2+CD8+ cells. There was an additive effect between lactobacilli and rotavirus in inducing total γδ T cell expansion in ileum at PID 5. The overall effect of lactobacilli colonization versus rotavirus infection on frequencies of the CD2+CD8+ γδ T cell subset in ileum was similar; however, rotavirus-infected pigs maintained significantly higher frequencies of CD8- subsets in ileum than lactobacilli-colonized pigs. The dynamic γδ T cell responses suggest that γδ T cell subsets may play important roles in different stages of immune responses after rotavirus infection and probiotic colonization. The knowledge on the kinetics and distribution patterns of γδ T cell subsets in naïve pigs and after rotavirus infection or lactobacilli colonization provides the foundation for further mechanistic studies of their functions.

Suppression of intestinal inflammation and inflammation-driven colon cancer in mice by dietary sphingomyelin: importance of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression

Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract increases the risk of developing colon cancer especially in younger adults. Dietary compounds are not only associated with the etiology of inflammation and colon cancer but also in their prevention. Sphingolipid metabolites have been shown to play a role in the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated the suppression of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis and azoxymethane-induced colon cancer by dietary sphingomyelin (SM) in mice that lack functional peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) in intestinal epithelial and immune cells. Dietary SM decreased disease activity and colonic inflammatory lesions in mice of both genotypes but more efficiently in mice expressing PPAR-γ. The increased survival and suppression of tumor formation in the SM-fed mice appeared to be independent of PPAR-γ expression in immune and epithelial cells. Using a real-time polymerase chain reaction array, we detected an up-regulation in genes involved in Th1 (interferon γ) and Th17 (interleukin [IL]-17 and IL-23) responses despite the reduced inflammation scores. However, the genes involved in Th2 (IL-4, IL-13 and IL-13ra2) and Treg (IL-10rb) anti-inflammatory responses were up-regulated in a PPAR-γ-dependent manner. In line with the PPAR-γ dependency of our in vivo findings, treatment of RAW macrophages with sphingosine increased the PPAR-γ reporter activity. In conclusion, dietary SM modulated inflammatory responses at the early stages of the disease by activating PPAR-γ, but its anticarcinogenic effects followed a PPAR-γ-independent pattern.

Model of colonic inflammation: immune modulatory mechanisms in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immunoinflammatory illness of the gut initiated by an immune response to bacteria in the microflora. The resulting immunopathogenesis leads to lesions in epithelial lining of the colon through which bacteria may infiltrate the tissue causing recurring bouts of diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and malnutrition. In healthy individuals such immunopathogenesis is avoided by the presence of regulatory cells that inhibit the inflammatory pathway. Highly relevant to the search for treatment strategies is the identification of components of the inflammatory pathway that allow regulatory mechanisms to be overridden and immunopathogenesis to proceed. In vitro techniques have identified cellular interactions involved in inflammation-regulation crosstalk. However, tracing immunological mechanisms discovered at the cellular level confidently back to an in vivo context of multiple, simultaneous interactions has met limited success. To explore the impact of specific interactions, we have constructed a system of 29 ordinary differential equations representing different phenotypes of T-cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and epithelial cells as they move and interact with bacteria in the lumen, lamina propria, and lymphoid tissue of the colon. Simulations revealed the positive inflammatory feedback loop formed by inflammatory M1 macrophage activation of T-cells as a driving force underlying the immunopathology of IBD. Furthermore, strategies that remove M1 from the site of infection, by either (i) increasing its potential to switch to a regulatory M2 phenotype or (ii) increasing the rate of reversion (for M1 and M2 alike) to a resting state, cease immunopathogenesis even as bacteria are eliminated by other inflammatory cells. Based on these results, we identify macrophages and their mechanisms of plasticity as key targets for mucosal inflammation intervention strategies. In addition, we propose that the primary mechanism behind the association of PPARgamma mutation with IBD is its ability to mediate the M1 to M2 switch.

Conjugated linoleic acid ameliorates inflammation-induced colorectal cancer in mice through activation of PPARgamma

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) exerts a protective effect on experimental inflammatory bowel disease and shows promise as a chemopreventive agent against colorectal cancer (CRC) in mice, although the mechanisms by which it exerts its beneficial effects against malignancies in the gut are not completely understood. Mice lacking PPARgamma in immune and epithelial cells and PPARgamma-expressing littermates were fed either control or CLA-supplemented (1 g CLA/100 g) diets to determine the role of PPARgamma in inflammation-induced CRC. To induce tumor formation and colitis, mice were treated with azoxymethane and then challenged with 2% dextran sodium sulfate, respectively. Dietary CLA ameliorated disease activity, decreased colitis, and prevented adenocarcinoma formation in the PPARgamma-expressing floxed mice but not in the tissue-specific PPARgamma-null mice. Dietary CLA supplementation significantly decreased the percentages of macrophages in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) regardless of the genotype and increased regulatory T cell numbers in MLN of PPARgamma-expressing, but not in the tissue-specific, PPARgamma-null mice. Colonic tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA expression was significantly suppressed in CLA-fed, PPARgamma-expressing mice. This study suggests CLA ameliorates colitis and prevents tumor formation in part through a PPARgamma-dependent mechanism.

Blood concentrations of amino acids, glucose and lactate during experimental swine dysentery

The aim of this study was to examine blood concentrations of amino acids, glucose and lactate in association with experimental swine dysentery. Ten pigs (approximately 23kg) were orally inoculated with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. Eight animals developed muco-haemorrhagic diarrhoea with impaired general appearance, changes in white blood cell counts and increased levels of the acute phase protein Serum Amyolid A. Blood samples were taken before inoculation, during the incubation period, during clinical signs of dysentery and during recovery. Neither plasma glucose nor lactate concentrations changed during the course of swine dysentery, but the serum concentrations of gluconeogenic non-essential amino acids decreased during dysentery. This was mainly due to decreases in alanine, glutamine, serine and tyrosine. Lysine increased during dysentery and at the beginning of the recovery period, and leucine increased during recovery. Glutamine, alanine and tyrosine levels show negative correlations with the numbers of neutrophils and monocytes. In conclusion, swine dysentery altered the blood concentrations of amino acids, but not of glucose or lactate.

Arachidonic acid-and docosahexaenoic acid-enriched formulas modulate antigen-specific T cell responses to influenza virus in neonatal piglets

BACKGROUND

Whereas the immunomodulatory effects of feeding either arachidonic acid (AA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) separately have been previously investigated, little is known about the immunomodulatory efficacy of AA or DHA when they are fed in combination as infant formula ingredients.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of AA- and DHA(AA/DHA)-enriched infant formula to modulate immune responses in the neonate in response to an inactivated influenza virus vaccine.

DESIGN

Neonatal piglets (n = 48) were weaned on day 2 of age and distributed into 16 blocks of 3 littermate piglets each. Within each block, piglets were randomly assigned to a control formula, AA/DHA-enriched formula (0.63% AA and 0.34% DHA), or sow milk for 30 d. On day 9, 8 blocks of piglets were immunized with an inactivated influenza virus vaccine. On days 0, 9, 16, 23, and 30 after weaning, we measured influenza virus-specific T cell proliferation and phenotype of T subsets in peripheral blood. A delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction test was administered on day 28. Cytokine messenger RNA expression was determined by quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction on day 30.

RESULTS

The influenza virus-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell ex vivo lymphoproliferative responses were significantly lower on day 23 after immunization in piglets receiving dietary AA/DHA supplementation and sow milk than in those receiving the unsupplemented control formula. The immunomodulatory effects of AA/DHA-enriched formulas were consistent with up-regulation of interleukin 10 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

CONCLUSION

Overall, it appears that the AA/DHA-enriched formula modulated antigen-specific T cell responses in part through an interleukin 10-dependent mechanism.

Consecutive pathological and immunological alterations during experimentally induced swine dysentery - a study performed by repeated endoscopy and biopsy samplings through an intestinal cannula

The development of intestinal lesions after inoculation with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae was followed by repeated endoscopy and biopsy sampling through a caecal cannula. Seven eight-week-old pigs were cannulated and inoculated, two were cannulated but not inoculated, and two pigs were inoculated but not cannulated. Endoscopy, biopsy, and blood sampling to determine SAA (serum amyloid A), haptoglobin, cortisol, and WBC counts were performed at scheduled time-points. At the third day of disease, endoscopy showed a hyperaemic, perturbed mucosa and excessive amount of mucus. Histologically, crypt hyperplasia, depletion of goblet cell mucus, and erosions were noted. Simultaneously, elevated acute phase proteins and circulating monocytes, and decreased number of intraepithelial CD3⁺ cells were observed. After five days the pigs recovered. Intestinal lesions were demarcated and interspersed among apparently normal mucosa and blood parameters returned to initial values. Endoscopy through an intestinal cannula made it possible to follow the development of intestinal alterations in vivo and describe the sequential events during the course of swine dysentery. The number of animals used in a study could thus be minimised and the precision of the experiment increased.

CLA and n-3 PUFA differentially modulate clinical activity and colonic PPAR-responsive gene expression in a pig model of experimental IBD

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been proposed as important pharmaco-nutrients for modulating mucosal immunity and therapeutic responses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We evaluated the ability of CLA and n-3 PUFA alone or in combination to modulate IBD in a pig model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis.

METHODS

Sixty-four, 15-day-old pigs were used to evaluate the effect of CLA, n-3 PUFA and a 50:50 mixture of CLA and n-3 PUFA on growth, clinical activity and colonic PPAR-responsive gene expression. Diets were formulated to contain: 1.33% soybean oil (control); 1.33% CLA; 1.33% fish oil; or 1.33% of a 50:50 mixture of CLA and fish oil. Intestinal inflammation was induced by an intragastric challenge with DSS on day 42 of dietary supplementation. The colonic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), PPAR gamma- and delta-responsive genes, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) were assayed by quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTS

The onset of IBD was delayed, colitis less severe and growth suppression attenuated in pigs fed CLA, which correlated with induction of colonic PPAR gamma and its responsive gene PPAR gamma-coactivator-1alpha (PGC1-alpha) and downregulation of TNF-alpha. However, dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA alone or in combination with CLA resulted in an early onset of disease (i.e., day 2) and faster recovery on days 6 and 7, which correlated with a marked induction of the PPAR delta-responsive gene uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3). CLA and n-3 PUFA acted synergistically to upregulate colonic KGF expression in DSS-challenged pigs but n-3 PUFA blocked CLA-induced PPAR gamma activation.

CONCLUSION

Dietary CLA-supplementation upregulated colonic PPAR gamma expression and contributed to delaying the onset of experimental IBD, whereas n-3 PUFA failed to protect from IBD, although it accelerated colonic regeneration and clinical remission by activating PPAR delta.

Effect of orally administered probiotic E. coli strain Nissle 1917 on intestinal mucosal immune cells of healthy young pigs

Several beneficial effects of probiotics have been described in studies using rodent disease models and in human patients; however, the underlying mechanisms remained mostly unclear. Only a few studies focused on the effects of probiotics on the intestinal mucosal immune system. Here, we studied the effect of the probiotic strain E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) administered orally to young pigs at two concentrations (10(9) and 10(11)CFU/d for 21 days) on the gut-associated lymphatic tissue. This probiotic strain was shown recently to reduce recurrence of inflammation in ulcerative colitis patients. We quantified the number and distribution of intestinal immune cells (granulocytes, mast cells, CD4+, CD8+, CD25+, IgA+ lymphocytes) and the mucosal mRNA expression of cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, IL-10) and antimicrobial peptides (PR-39, NK-lysin, prepro-defensin-beta 1, protegrins). The number and distribution of cells were highly different between small intestinal and colon segments in all groups, but were not influenced by EcN, except high dose EcN fed pigs (10(11) CFU/d) showing an increase in mucosal CD8+ cells in the ascending colon. The mRNA analysis revealed no changes associated with EcN feeding. In conclusion, according to our analyses EcN has only minor effects on the distribution of mucosal immune cells in the gut of healthy individuals. The well-established preventive effects of EcN might therefore be relate to other mechanisms than simple modulation of immune cell distribution.