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The effect of delayed weaning on the development of oral tolerance to soya-bean protein in pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

B. G. Miller
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, Bristol University, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DU
C. T. Whittemore
Affiliation:
The Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
C. R. Stokes
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, Bristol University, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS18 7DU
E. Telemo
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Immunology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
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Abstract

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The antibody response to a dietary antigen (soya-bean protein) and the development of oral tolerance was studied in pigs in a family pen system where the piglets are left with their mothers and gradually wean themselves onto a soya-bean-based diet over a 12 week period. In the first experiment three groups of pigs (eight pigs/group) aged either 2, 8 or 13 weeks were immunized with soya-bean protein or ovalbumin (OvA; controls) intra-peritoneally (i.p.) in Quill A adjuvant and subsequently boosted 2 weeks later. All groups showed an IgG response to the injected antigens indicating lack of tolerance induction to the dietary antigen. Interestingly the groups injected with OvA showed an almost identical response to soya- bean protein as the groups injected with soya-bean protein. In a second experiment with a similar protocol, soya bean was withdrawn from the feed before immunization which resulted in lack of response to soya-bean protein in the groups injected with OvA and a lack of response to injected soya-bean protein in the 14-week-old group, indicating that systemic tolerance was established by 12 weeks of age. The results from the two experiments suggest a compartmentalized response to soya-bean protein i.e. local antibody production to dietary soya bean along with systemic tolerance to injected soya-bean protein. The work also suggests that delayed‘natural’weaning may avoid damaging hypersensitivity reactions associated with early weaning.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1994

References

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