The β-defensins, expressed in epithelial cells of multiple tissues including intestine, play a critical role in the mammalian innate immunity. However, it is little known about the role of functional nutrients in the regulation of porcine β-defensins' expressions in intestinal epithelial cells. The present study was conducted to determine the hypothesis that zinc and L-isoleucine regulate the expressions of porcine β-defensins in IPEC-J2 cells. Cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing supplemental 0-500 μg/mL L-isoleucine or 0-500 μmol/mL zinc sulfate that was used to increase the concentration of Zn(2+) in the medium. At 12 h after the treatment by the appropriate concentrations of L-isoleucine or Zn(2+), the mRNA and protein expressions of porcine β-defensin 1, 2 and 3 were increased (P < 0.05), and reached their maximum after treatment with 25 or 100 μmol/mL zinc sulfate and 25 or 50 μg/mL isoleucine (P < 0.05). These results suggested that both Zn(2+) and L-isoleucine could induce β-defensins' expressions in porcine intestinal epithelial cells.

beta-Defensins are cysteine-rich endogenously produced antimicrobial peptides that play an important role in innate immunity. In this study, the expressions of genes porcine beta-defensins-1(pBD-1), pBD-2 and pBD-3 were determined using real-time PCR for Chinese Meishan pigs and Crossbred (Duroc x Yorkshire x Landrace) pigs of 7 days old in various tissues. The results showed that expressions of pBD-1, 2 and 3 of Meishan pigs in most tissues were higher than those of crossbred pigs and main expression sites for pBD-1 and pBD-3 were tongue and oral mucosa in two varieties of pigs, whereas pBD-2 of crossbred pig was mainly expressed in kidney and liver, and pBD-2 of Meishan pigs mainly in tongue and oral mucosa. The higher expression of pBDs might be the reason of Meishan pigs has higher immunity and disease resistance. The mechanisms of this need a further research.

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