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Intestinal barrier function in neonatal foals: options for improvement
Johannes C Vendrig1, Johanna Fink-Gremmels
1Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 104, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.C.Vendrig@uu.nl
Insights
Newborns have weak gut defenses, increasing infection risk. Specific milk oligosaccharides may act as Pattern Recognition Receptor (PRR) agonists to improve gut health and reduce inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal immunology
- Gastrointestinal physiology
- Microbiome research
Background:
- Neonatal gastrointestinal defense is limited by immature barriers and immune systems.
- This vulnerability increases susceptibility to inflammation, bacterial translocation, and sepsis during early gut colonization.
- Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and cytokine regulation are crucial for gut homeostasis and barrier function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of milk oligosaccharides as selective Pattern Recognition Receptor (PRR) agonists.
- To explore strategies for orchestrating beneficial gut colonization in neonates.
- To reduce the risks of neonatal inflammation and pathogen invasion.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on neonatal gut immunity and PRR function.
- Analysis of the composition and potential immunomodulatory effects of milk oligosaccharides.
- Exploration of dietary formula applications.
Main Results:
- Selective PRR agonists show promise in limiting inflammatory responses.
- Milk and colostrum contain oligosaccharides with potential PRR agonist activity.
- These compounds could modulate early gut colonization by commensal flora.
Conclusions:
- Milk oligosaccharides represent a potential source for novel dietary formulas.
- These formulas could enhance neonatal gut defense mechanisms.
- Targeting PRRs with dietary components may mitigate risks of neonatal inflammatory diseases and infections.
Abstract:
Gastrointestinal defence in the new-born is limited in comparison to adults, due to an immature epithelial barrier function and deficits in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Consequently, neonates (including foals) are at increased risk of disturbance to mucosal homeostasis during initial intestinal colonisation that may lead to excessive inflammation and bacterial translocation into the bloodstream, resulting in septicaemia. Bacterial recognition by Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and their downstream regulation of cytokine release have been shown to be pivotal for gastrointestinal mucosal homeostasis and the development of a functional intestinal barrier. Evidence suggests that selective PRR agonists limit the inflammatory responses and improve epithelial barrier function. Milk, and in particular colostrum, contain a broad array of oligosaccharides which seem to act as PRR agonists. This class of compounds forms a source for new dietary formulas that may orchestrate gut colonisation by the commensal flora in the early phase of life and so reduce the risks of inflammation and pathogen invasion.
