In intensive farming, piglets are exposed to various challenges that activate intestinal inflammatory processes, negatively affecting animal health and leading to economic losses. To study the role of the inflammatory response on epithelial barrier integrity, co-culture systems that mimic in vivo complexity are more and more preferred over cell monocultures. In this study, an in vitro gut co-culture model consisting of intestinal porcine epithelial cells and porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells was established. The model provides an appropriate tool to study the role of the inflammatory response on epithelial barrier integrity and to screen for feed and food components, exerting beneficial effects on gut health. In the established model, inflammation-like reactions and damage of the epithelial barrier, indicated by a decrease of transepithelial electrical resistance, were elicited by activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells via one of 3 stimuli: lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, or concanavalin A. Two phytogenic substances that are commonly used as feed additives, licorice extract and oregano oil, have been shown to counteract the drop in transepithelial electrical resistance values in the gut co-culture model. The established co-culture model provides a powerful in vitro tool to study the role of intestinal inflammation on epithelial barrier integrity. As it consists of porcine epithelial and porcine blood cells it perfectly mimics in vivo conditions and imitates the inter-organ communication of the piglet gut. The developed model is useful to screen for nutritional components or drugs, having the potential to balance intestinal inflammation and strengthen the epithelial barrier integrity in piglets.

中文翻译：

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建立仔猪肠道体外共培养模型以研究炎症反应和屏障完整性

在集约化养殖中，仔猪面临各种挑战，这些挑战会激活肠道炎症过程，对动物健康产生负面影响并导致经济损失。为了研究炎症反应对上皮屏障完整性的作用，模拟体内复杂性的共培养系统越来越优于细胞单一培养。本研究建立了由猪肠上皮细胞和猪外周血单个核细胞组成的体外肠道共培养模型。该模型提供了一个合适的工具来研究炎症反应对上皮屏障完整性的作用，并筛选饲料和食物成分，对肠道健康产生有益影响。在已建立的模型中，炎症样反应和上皮屏障损伤，通过降低跨上皮电阻表示，通过 3 种刺激之一激活外周血单核细胞引起：脂多糖、脂磷壁酸或刀豆蛋白 A。两种植物源性物质通常用作饲料添加剂，甘草提取物和牛至油，已被证明可以抵消肠道共培养模型中跨上皮电阻值的下降。建立的共培养模型为研究肠道炎症对上皮屏障完整性的作用提供了强大的体外工具。由于它由猪上皮细胞和猪血细胞组成，它完美地模拟了体内条件并模拟了仔猪肠道的器官间通讯。开发的模型可用于筛选营养成分或药物，