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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #213952
Title: Sow-reared piglets show increased mitogen and costimulation induced lymphocutes proliferation compared to formula-fed piglets

Author
item BAILEY, ERIN - ACNC/UAMS
item BURRIS, RAMONA - ACNC
item BADGER, THOMAS - ACNC/UAMS
item NAGARAJAN, SHANMUGAM - ACNC/UAMS

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2007
Publication Date: 4/28/2007
Citation: Bailey, E., Burris, R.L., Badger, T.M., Nagarajan, S. 2007. Sow-reared piglets show increased mitogen and costimulation induced lymphocutes proliferation compared to formula-fed piglets[abstract]. The FASEB Journal. 21(6):A378.

Interpretive Summary: Breast-feeding is considered as the best for the growth and development of infants. However >70% of the infants in the USA are fed some type of infant formula. Breast milk infants appear to be less prone to infections. This suggests that breast milk influence the immune system development. Therefore we studied the effect of formula feeding on the immune system development in a piglet model. Our findings show immune cells from sow-fed piglets can multiply better than the cells from formula-fed piglets. Our findings suggest that the adaptive immune system in sow-reared piglets is functionally better developed than formula-fed piglets.

Technical Abstract: Breast-fed infants are less susceptible to infections and allergic reactions than those given formula, suggesting that diet may influence development of the neonatal immune system. Breast milk may stimulate immune system development, but many infants are fed at least some formula within the first six months of life. Moreover, the effect of early formula feeding on the neonatal immune system development, particularly cell-mediated immune response is not well studied. The goal of the present study was to determine if formula feeding indeed affects the neonatal immune system development. Piglets were breast-fed by the sow or weaned at 2 days to a milk-based diet (formula-fed) that provided National Research Council recommended nutrients. Total number of lymphocytes CD3+ lymphocytes and CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocytes subsets in spleen were not different in sow and formula-fed piglets. However, at postnatal day 21, mitogen (PHA, Con-A, or PMA) induced T-lymphocyte proliferation was increased in sow-reared piglets compared to formula-fed piglets. Similarly, splenocytes from sow-fed group showed 3- to 4-fold higher co-stimulated CD28/CD80-dependent lymphocyte proliferation compared to the formula-fed. Notably, the increase in T-lymphocyte proliferation was also reflected in higher sera IgG and IgM levels in sow-reared piglets. Collectively, our findings suggest that formula feeding can reduce neonatal immune system development relative to breast-feeding.