Effects of medium-chain fatty acids on the structure and immune response of IPEC-J2 cells

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have been suggested as an alternative to the use of antibiotics in animal nutrition with promising results. First, we studied the sensitivity of Salmonella Enteritidis and an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain against caprylic (C8), capric (C10) and lauric (C12) acids. A porcine in vitro model using the porcine cell line IPEC-J2 was used to test the effects of MCFAs on structural and immunological traits without and with a concomitant challenge with E. coli or S. Enteritidis. The three MCFAs exerted an inhibitory effect on bacterial growth, stronger for C12 than C8 or C10, S. Enteritidis being more sensitive than the E. coli strain. Flow cytometry showed a numeric concentration dependent increase in the adhesion of E. coli or S. Enteritidis to IPEC-J2 cells. Measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance after bacterial challenge showed negative effects of all MCFAs on IPEC-J2 cells at the highest concentrations. Immune parameters were affected by C8, since a concentration dependent effect starting at 5 mM was observed for mRNA expression of IL-6 and TLR-4 (up-regulated) and IL-8 (down-regulated). TLR-4 was up-regulated with C10 at 2 and 5 mM. The three MCFAs affected also the epithelial morphology through down-regulation of Occludin and up-regulation of Claudin-4 expression. In conclusion, the three MCFAs under study influenced bacterial growth rates and modified the gene expression to a different degree in the cell line IPEC-J2 but the effect on the morphological structure and response of the cells after bacterial challenge could not be assessed. Although these tests show a prior estimation of MCFAs effects in intestinal epithelium, in vivo confirmation is still needed.