Pre-Weaning Inulin Supplementation Alters the Ileal Transcriptome in Pigs Regarding Lipid Metabolism

Abstract

Prebiotics, such as inulin, are non-digestible compounds that stimulate the growth of beneficial microbiota, which results in improved gut and overall health. In this study, we were interested to see if, and how, the ileal transcriptome altered after inulin administration in the pre-weaning period in pigs. Seventy-two Piétrain–Landrace newborn piglets were divided into three groups: (a) a control (CON) group (n = 24), (b) an inulin (IN)-0.5 group (n = 24), and (c) an IN-0.75 group (n = 24). Inulin was provided as a solution and administered twice a day. At week 4, eight piglets per group, those closest to the average in body weight, were sacrificed, and ileal scrapings were collected and analyzed using 3′ mRNA massively parallel sequencing. Only minor differences were found, and three genes were differentially expressed between the CON and IN-0.5 group, at an FDR of 10%. All three genes were downregulated in the IN-0.5 group. When comparing the CON group with the IN-0.75 group, five genes were downregulated in the IN-0.75 group, including the three genes seen earlier as differentially expressed between CON and IN-0.5. No genes were found to be differential expressed between IN-0.5 and IN-0.75. Validation of a selection of these genes was done using qRT-PCR. Among the downregulated genes were Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), Aquaporin 7 (AQP7), and Apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1). Thus, although only a few genes were found to be differentially expressed, several of them were involved in lipid metabolism, belonging to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway and known to promote lipolysis. We, therefore, conclude that these lipid metabolism genes expressed in the ileum may play an important role when supplementing piglets with inulin early in life, before weaning.

Effect of Cow-Calf Supplementation on Gene Expression, Processes, and Pathways Related to Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis in Longissimus thoracis Muscle of F1 Angus × Nellore Cattle at Weaning

“…Although calf supplementation during the lactation period had positive effects on the PPAR signaling pathway in lipid metabolism, downregulation of this pathway can downregulate the APOA1 and ANGPTL4 genes [ 60 ]. The APOA1 gene encodes the structural and functional protein component of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which promotes the reverse flow of cholesterol from tissues to excretion in the liver [ 61 ].…”

Recent developments and future directions in meta-analysis of differential gene expression in livestock RNA-Seq

“…For longer transcripts with many isoforms or non-poly(A) transcripts, traditional RNA-Seq may be more appropriate. To date, QuantSeq has been deployed in transcriptomic studies of multiple livestock species, including cattle ( Pascottini et al, 2021 ; Beak and Baik, 2022 ; Busato et al, 2022 ; Pedroza et al, 2022 ), sheep ( Kubik et al, 2018 ), chicken ( Ibrahim et al, 2021 ) and pigs ( Dong et al, 2018 ; Kroeske et al, 2021 ; Schroyen et al, 2021 ; Kramer et al, 2022 ).…”

Crohn’s disease: Why the ileum?

“…Fibre intake was identified as a protective factor against CD onset but not UC[ 130 ]. Although epidemiological data were based on a 40-year-old population, fibre intake and more accurately inulin supplementation modulated PPARγ signalling pathway in pigs[ 131 ].…”