Related Experiment Videos
Lipopolysaccharide-induced reductions in food intake do not decrease the efficiency of lysine and threonine
D M Webel1, R W Johnson, D H Baker
1Department of Animal Sciences and Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
The Journal of Nutrition
|October 15, 1998
Summary
Exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli reduces chick weight gain and food intake. However, LPS does not alter amino acid utilization efficiency or dietary requirements for optimal performance.
Area of Science:
- Animal Nutrition
- Immunology
- Physiology
Background:
- Infectious agents trigger immune responses, impacting animal growth and feed intake.
- The specific effects on amino acid requirements and utilization during immune stimulation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on chick performance and amino acid utilization.
- To determine if LPS affects the efficiency or concentration of dietary amino acids needed for growth.
Main Methods:
- Young chicks were injected with varying doses of LPS or saline over 9 days to assess performance impacts.
- Subsequent growth assays involved feeding graded levels of lysine or threonine with or without LPS injections to evaluate amino acid utilization.
Main Results:
- LPS administration significantly decreased weight gain and food consumption in chicks.
- Whole-body protein accretion remained a linear function of lysine or threonine intake, unaffected by LPS.
- The dietary concentration of lysine for maximum protein accretion was unchanged, but the absolute intake required was lower in LPS-treated chicks.
Conclusions:
- LPS reduces overall feed intake and growth but does not impair the efficiency of amino acid utilization.
- While the optimal dietary concentration of lysine is unaffected, the total amount of lysine needed for maximal chick performance is reduced by LPS exposure.