Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access

Abstract

Assessment of Toll-like Receptors in the Ileum of Weanling Pigs- Responses to Feed Antibiotic Chlortetracycline and Gnotobiotic Conditions

Sajan George, Katherine Circle, Stacy Lindblom, Sebastien Vilain, Artur J.M. Rosa, David Francis, Volker Brözel and Radhey S. Kaushik

It has been suggested that changes in diet at weaning in pigs induce intestinal inflammation which may be mediated through toll-like receptors (TLRs). We hypothesized that the use of antibiotics as growth promoters and subsequent changes in intestinal microbiota may mediate changes in the expression of TLRs in the intestine. Thus, this study was performed to assess the changes in intestinal TLRs in weanling pigs in response to the use of chlortetracycline as a growth promotant, and under gnotobiotic conditions. Eighteen cesarean-derived half-sib piglets were divided into three groups; antibiotic-fed, control (normal-fed) and gnotobiotic groups.TLR-2, -4, -5 and -9 gene expression and abundance of TLR-2 and -9 proteins in the ileum of pigs was assessed at 5 wk of age. No significant differences (p ?0.5) in TLR-2, -4, -5 and -9transcript levels and abundanceof TLR-2 and -9 proteins among three groups of pigswere observed.