Modulation of the acute phase response following a lipopolysaccharide challenge in pigs supplemented with an all-natural Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product

This study was designed to determine if feeding a Saccharamyces cerevisiae fermentation product to weaned pigs would reduce the acute phase response (APR) following an lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Pigs (n = 20; 6.4 ± 0.2 kg BW) were obtained and transported to a nursery facility. Pigs were housed individually with ad libitum access to feed and water. Pigs were weighed upon arrival and assigned to 1 of 2 treatment diets (n = 10 pigs/treatment) for 18 d: 1) non-medicated starter diet (Control); 2) Control diet + Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (XPC; 2 kg/MT; Diamond V Original XPC™). Pigs were anesthetized on d 7 and 14 for insertion of an intraperitoneal (IP) temperature recording device and jugular catheter, respectively. On d 15, pigs were challenged i.v. with LPS (25 µg/kg BW). Blood samples were collected at 0.5-h (serum) and 1-h (complete blood cell counts) intervals from −2 to 8 h and at 24 h relative to LPS challenge at 0 h. There was a treatment effect (P ≤ 0.002) for serum TNF-α and IL-6 such that concentrations were greater in XPC-supplemented pigs than Control pigs (116.5 ± 5.0 vs. 90.9 ± 5.2 pg/mL TNF-α; 188.3 ± 13.4 vs. 133.4 ± 11.7 pg/mL IL-6; respectively) following LPS challenge. Administration of LPS increased IP temperature (P < 0.01), however, there was no effect of treatment (P = 0.12). Thus, feeding a Saccharamyces cerevisiae fermentation product to weaned pigs increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine response to an LPS challenge.