Use of acid-utilizing butyrate-producing intestinal bacteria to prevent dyspeptic diarrhea in piglets.

仔猪常发生非病原性腹泻，多数为消化不良性腹泻。消化不良性腹泻的特征是乳酸盐在大肠中积聚。利用乳酸的丁酸生产菌，如埃氏巨球菌（Megaspaera elsdenii，ME），可以将乳酸转化为丁酸，而丁酸是结肠细胞维持其功能所依赖的。本研究以ME为益生菌，对仔猪消化不良性腹泻进行预防。我们分离了几个ME来选择并建立了ME的实时PCR定量方法。ME的水平在4日龄时为10^3，然后在13日龄时增加到10^5。在14日龄时，通过补充固体食物，该水平暂时下降，然后在16日龄时重新增加至10^6并稳定下来。然而，在25日龄断奶暂时降低ME的水平。消化不良性腹泻往往是由饲料的变化和断奶的ME水平下降。分别于3日龄、20日龄和28日龄对仔猪口服ME肠溶胶囊和大肠溶胶囊，连续3天。与对照仔猪相比，给药后不久（7天）粪便ME水平较高，但在这些天后未观察到差异。ME水平与乳杆菌水平呈显著相关。粪便评分改善不显著。临床状况如毛发评分得到改善。

Piglets often suffer from non-pathogenic diarrhea most of which have dyspeptic nature. Dyspeptic diarrhea is characterized by the accumulation of lactate in the large intestine. Lactate utilizing butyrate producer, such as Megasphaera elsdenii (ME), can convert lactate into butyrate on which the colonocytes depend to keep their functions. In this study, we used ME as a probiotics to prevent the dyspeptic diarrhea in piglets. We have isolated a couple of ME to select and developed Real-time PCR quantification of ME. The level of ME was 10^3 at 4 days age, and then increased to 10^5 at 13 days old. The level was temporally declined by the supplementation of solid food at 14 days old, then re-increased to 10^6 at 16 days old and stabilized. However, weaning at 25 days old temporally reduced the level of ME. Dyspeptic diarrhea is often caused by the feed change and weaning where the level of ME was decreased. ME was orally administrated using either intestinal soluble or large intestinal soluble capsules to piglets at 3 days, 20 days, and 28 days old for 3 consecutive days. The level of fecal ME was higher shortly after (7 days) dose comparing to the control piglets, but no difference was seen after these days. The level of ME was significantly correlated with that of Lactobacilli. Fecal score was improved with insignificant manner. Clinical condition such as hair score was improved.