Assessing the Permeability of the Piglet Small Intestine at Birth

Abstract

Because newborn piglets are born without maternal antibodies and lack mature serum proteins, it is critical that they ingest colostrum within several hours after birth or they will not survive. The small intestine of the piglet has evolved to be permeable immediately after birth to facilitate the uptake of colostrum-derived immunoglobulins, cytokines, antimicrobial peptides, and maternal cells. The precise timing of gut closure is not known and defining this timing major focus of our research and we will eventually discern whether oral vaccination can capitalize on the transient permeability before gut closure to trigger immune protection. My research project seeks to investigate whether the newborn piglet small intestine is permeable to Cy5-Ovalbumin as our representative antigen. Using immunohistochemistry, I will seek to define region-specific differences in the localization of known surface proteins such as Villin and pIgR and tight junction proteins such as Claudin-4 and Claudin-3 pre and post-suckling that may contribute to differences in the timing of gut-closure at birth. Endosome markers are also used to clarify antigen localization across different regions of the small intestine over time. Advancements in the understanding of the mucosal immune system across anatomical sites will ultimately lead to improvements in mucosal vaccine development.