Abstract
This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary L-arginine supplementation enhances immunity in early weaned piglets. Seventy piglets weaned at 7 days of age were assigned to five groups (14 pigs/group), representing supplementation of 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8% l-arginine to a milk-based formula. On Day 7 after initiation of treatment, spleen weight in piglets supplemented with 0.2 and 0.8% arginine was heavier and thymus size was larger in piglets supplemented with 0.6% arginine, whereas serum concentration of immunoglobulin (Ig) M was higher but that of IL-8 was lower in piglets supplemented with 0.6 and 0.8% arginine, compared with the control group. Dietary supplementation with 0.8% arginine increased the numbers of white blood cells and granulocytes, and gene expression of interleukin (IL)-8 in spleen. On Day 14, compared with control piglets, granulocyte numbers were greater but lymphocyte numbers were lower in piglets supplemented with 0.2 and 0.4% arginine, whereas splenic expression of IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α genes was increased in piglets supplemented with 0.8% arginine. Additionally, IgG and IgM concentrations in serum and growth performance were greater in piglets supplemented with 0.4–0.8% arginine, compared with unsupplemented piglets. Collectively, dietary supplementation with 0.4–0.8% l-arginine for 2 weeks enhances both cellular and humoral immunity in piglets by modulating the production of leukocytes, cytokines and antibodies. These results indicate that increasing l-arginine provision is beneficial for optimal immune responses in young pigs and also have important implications for designing the next generation of improved formula for human infants.
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Abbreviations
- Ig:
-
Immunoglobulin
- IL:
-
Interleukin
- NO:
-
Nitric oxide
- RT-PCR:
-
Real-time polymerase-chain reaction
- TNF:
-
Tumor necrosis factor
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Outstanding Overseas Chinese Scholars Fund of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; no. 2005-1-4 and 2005-1-7), CAS Knowledge Innovation Project (no. YW-N-022 and KSCX2-SW-323), the National Basic Research Program of China (no. 2004CB117502), National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 30671517, 30528006 and 30371038), Texas AgriLife Research (H-8200), and National Research Initiative Competitive Grant (no. 2008-35206-18764) from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
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Tan, B., Li, X.G., Kong, X. et al. Dietary l-arginine supplementation enhances the immune status in early-weaned piglets. Amino Acids 37, 323–331 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0155-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-008-0155-1