Maternal immune activation and dietary soy isoflavone supplementation influence pig immune function but not muscle fiber formation.

The goals of this study were to determine the impact of maternal PRRSV infection on offspring muscle and immune development and the potential of dietary soy isoflavones to mitigate those effects. Thirteen first-parity gilts ("gilts") were randomly allotted into one of three treatments: not infected and fed a diet devoid of isoflavones (CON), infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and fed the control diet (POS) or that supplemented with 1,500 mg/kg soy-derived isoflavones (ISF). Gilts were inoculated with PRRSV intranasally on gestational day (GD) 70. After farrowing (GD 114 ± 2), 1-2 offspring ("pigs") closest to the average litter weight were selected either at birth (3 ± 2 d of age) or weaning (21 ± 2 d of age) to determine body, muscle, and organ weights as well as muscle cell number and size. Four weaned pigs of average body weight within each litter were selected for postnatal immune challenge. At PND 52, pigs were injected with 5 µg/kg BW lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneally. Serum was collected at 0, 4, and 8 h following LPS administration to analyze tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). At PND 59, pigs were administered a novel vaccine to elicit an adaptive immune response. At PND 59, 66, and 73, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and T-cell populations determined by flow cytometry. Both POS and ISF pigs exhibited persistent PRRSV infections throughout the study (PND 1-73). At PND 3, whole body, muscle, and organ weights were not different (P > 0.22) between groups, with the exception of relative liver weight, which was increased (P < 0.05) in POS compared with CON pigs. At PND 21, ISF pigs had reduced (P ≤ 0.05) whole body and muscle weights, but greater (P < 0.05) kidney weight compared with CON, and greater (P < 0.05) relative liver weight compared with CON and POS. Muscle fiber number and size were not different (P > 0.39) between groups at birth or weaning. After LPS administration, TNF-α was greatest in ISF pigs (P < 0.05) at both 0 and 8 h post-challenge. At the peak time-point of 4 h post-challenge, ISF pigs had the greatest concentration of TNF-α and CON pigs had the lowest, with POS pigs being intermediate (P = 0.01). After vaccination, ISF offspring had shifts in T-cell populations indicating an impaired immune response. These data indicate that maternal PRRSV infection may impact offspring organ growth and immune function, particularly when the dam is supplemented with isoflavones.

Gestational health challenges may influence growth performance and immunity of offspring pigs during postnatal life. In particular, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is endemic in the U.S. herd, but its effects on surviving offspring pigs are largely unknown. Further, dietary supplementation with soy isoflavones lessened the severity of PRRSV infections in weaning and growing pigs. Therefore, the goals of this study were to determine the impact of maternal PRRSV infection on offspring muscle and immune development and the potential of isoflavones to mitigate those effects. Isoflavone supplementation reduced viral load in dams 21 d after infection, but did not alter clinical illness indicators. Pig mortality was increased by PRRSV infection in dams, and surviving pigs were infected with PRRSV throughout the study. Interestingly, muscle and organ weights were not different among treatments at birth, but infected litters were lighter at weaning, likely due to postnatal infection. Muscle fiber number and size did not differ between treatments. Pigs born to infected dams had slower responses during innate immune stimulation and then failed to mount a proper vaccine response during adaptive immune stimulation. Overall, maternal infection altered offspring immune responses but not muscle fiber development. Isoflavone supplementation did not mitigate these effects.

Effects of dietary soy isoflavones and soy protein source on response of weanling pigs to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viral infection.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most prevalent disease of swine globally. Infection of weanling pigs with PRRSV leads to a complex immune response resulting in significant disease and decreased growth performance. Previous experimental evidence suggests that increasing concentrations of soybean meal in the diet of young pigs confer benefits in terms of growth performance and immune parameters. The objective of this experiment was to identify potential modes of action for this benefit, specifically the ability for soy-derived isoflavones (ISF) to confer immunological benefits to young pigs infected with PRRSV. Four dietary treatments differing in soy protein source (soy protein concentrate vs. enzyme-treated soybean meal) and ISF supplementation (none vs. 1,500 mg total ISF/kg) were fed; the control diet (CON) contained soy protein concentrate and no supplemental ISF. Weanling pigs (60 barrows, 21 d of age, 5.71 ± 0.44 kg) from a naturally Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh)-infected source herd were individually housed in disease containment chambers and provided ad libitum access to experimental diets for 7 d before receiving either a sham inoculation or a 9.28 × 103 50% tissue culture infective dose of PRRSV at 28 d of age (0 d postinoculation). A total of 5 experimental treatments included an uninfected group receiving the CON diet, plus four infected groups each receiving a different dietary treatment. Growth performance and rectal temperatures were recorded throughout the study, and blood was collected for quantification of serum PRRSV load, presence of anti-PRRSV antibodies, differential complete blood counts, cytokine concentrations, and T-cell immunophenotyping. Data were analyzed as a 2-way or 3-way ANOVA for all treatments including PRRSV-infected pigs, in addition to a single degree of freedom contrast to compare uninfected and infected pigs receiving the CON diet. PRRSV-infection reduced growth rate and efficiency compared with noninfected controls with minimal influences by ISF. Supplemental ISF reduced PRRSV-induced band neutrophilia and improved cytotoxic-to-helper T-cell ratios. These results suggest that ISF contribute to activation of adaptive immune system pathways and could benefit recovery from and clearance of PRRSV infections.

Immunomodulatory effects of whole yeast cells and capsicum in weanling pigs challenged with pathogenic Escherichia coli1.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate growth performance, fecal bacterial counts, frequency of diarrhea, and clinical blood parameters in weanling pigs inoculated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) who were fed a whole yeast cell (WYC) product and capsicum, a plant essential oil. Weanling pigs (34 barrows and 30 gilts, 21 d of age, 5.90 ± 1.03 kg BW) were allotted to experimental treatments in a randomized complete block design based on litter, sex, and initial BW. Four pigs were individually housed within each containment chamber and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments, which included a control diet without or with 0.2% WYC (CitriStim; ADM, Decatur, IL) or 10 ppm of capsicum (XTract 6933; Pancosma, Geneva, Switzerland), provided either alone or in combination. After receiving diets for 13 d, pigs were orally inoculated with F18+ ETEC and maintained on their assigned diets for an additional 10 d; a separate cohort of 12 pigs receiving the control diet was sham-inoculated using PBS. Body and feeder weights were recorded, and fecal swabs collected, on 0, 5, and 10 d postinoculation (DPI), with blood sampled at 0, 2, 7, and 10 DPI for isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Pigs challenged with ETEC and fed diets containing WYC or capsicum alone had a higher frequency of diarrhea when compared with pigs receiving diets without those compounds (P < 0.05). Total fecal bacterial counts in pigs fed the combination of additives were highest when compared with either additive alone (interaction, P = 0.03) at 10 DPI. Blood leukocyte counts were increased in challenged pigs receiving the combination of additives compared with all other challenged treatment groups (interaction, P = 0.04). The addition of WYC increased (main effect, P = 0.01) lymphocyte counts at 7 DPI. Proportions of CD8+ and CD4+CD8+ cells were lower in pigs fed the combination of additives compared with pigs fed either additive alone at 0 and 7 DPI. In conclusion, these data indicate that the combination of the 2 additives elicited higher ETEC shedding and circulating leukocyte counts, and reduced the proportions of cytotoxic and memory T-cells than either additive alone.

Immunomodulatory potential of dietary soybean-derived isoflavones and saponins in pigs.

In this review, the potential for use of soy-derived bioactive compounds as immunomodulatory feed additives in pigs is discussed. Soy is a major component of the modern U.S. swine diet in today's commercial industry, providing the bulk of dietary AA necessary for growth and production. However, soy use has generally been limited in early growth phases, during which the risks of immunological insult and disease are among the highest. Improvements of soybean processing and development of soy protein products with little to no antinutritional factors have made soy more appropriate for use in young pigs but additional processing may affect bioactive compound levels in the feed. The bioactive compounds of interest for this review are soy isoflavones and soy saponins. Soy isoflavones are flavonoid compounds with a range of biological activity including moderate estrogenic effects at low biological concentrations. Although estrogenic effects are of more interest in human medical research, isoflavones are also known for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative properties at cellular levels, engaging several receptors and pathways including inhibition of NF-κB activation and inducible-nitric oxide synthase enzymes, thereby ascribing antiviral properties. Saponins, amphipathic glycoside compounds, also engage anti-inflammatory pathways, though their biological activity in pigs has not been well investigated and seem to mainly be observed on the mucous membrane in the gastrointestinal tract. Regarding use as an immunomodulatory feed additive, supplemental soy isoflavones have been shown to improve immunological status of pigs and produce mild improvements of growth performance under certain disease challenges including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Although more in vivo research in pigs is needed to fully understand biological activity of these compounds in the live animal, soy-derived bioactive compounds show great potential as a health promoting feed additive for the modern swine industry.

Needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients residing in Australian residential aged-care facilities.

This review was undertaken to identify evidence-based practice guidelines to support the care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients residing in residential aged-care facilities. A systematic literature review was undertaken. An electronic search of online databases and subsequent manual retrieval process was undertaken to identify relevant reports and studies that explored interventions for care of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person. Very limited published material identified strategies necessary within residential aged care. Sixty-seven articles were considered for inclusion, and a subsequent review resulted in 34 being included due to direct alignment with the study aim. Strategies recommended within the review cover areas such as care, communication, palliative care, activities and the environment. Care for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in an Australian residential aged-care facility requires a collaborative and individual approach. Cultural safety principles should be maintained across a culturally competent workforce. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons in care is a significant experience that should not be considered 'routine' as there is much to consider in the care of this person and their community.

A qualitative study of service user experiences of occupation in forensic mental health.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This qualitative study explored occupational engagement of those detained in forensic units. Legal and institutional restrictions on occupation have implications for their health and wellbeing. METHOD: Twenty-six current forensic mental health service users participated in five focus groups, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to constant comparative analysis. FINDINGS: The participants highlighted previous occupations, current occupations and hopes. Key aspects were control over decision-making, motivation and support, generating suggestions alongside positive experiences of occupational therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Institutional barriers could be overcome with a dynamic balance between risk management and mental health promotion through occupation. This demands a sustained focus on occupation for everyone involved in providing care and treatment in these settings.