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Correlation between villous height and the disaccharidase activity in the small intestine of piglets from nursing to growing
Author(s) -
TSUKAHARA Takamitsu,
KISHINO Eriko,
INOUE Ryo,
NAKANISHI Nobuo,
NAKAYAMA Keizo,
ITO Tetsuya,
USHIDA Kazunari
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2012.01039.x
Subject(s) - disaccharidase , sucrase , weaning , maltase , biology , small intestine , lactase , diarrhea , zoology , villous atrophy , medicine , endocrinology , enzyme , biochemistry , coeliac disease , disease
Early weaning induces villous atrophy in the small intestine. Reduction in villous height in the small intestine after weaning is associated with reductions in brush‐border enzyme activity. Body weight gain after weaning is, therefore, correlated with villous height. This evidence suggested that the maintenance of small intestinal structure and function after weaning is important for the growth of young pigs. On the other hand, the relationship between villous height and the activity of the digestive enzymes in the small intestine has not been studied with piglets from the suckling to the growing period. Five suckling piglets, four piglets in the proximal stage of weaning, four pigs in the distal stage of weaning and four growing pigs were used. The activities of lactase (LA), sucrase (SA) and maltase (MA) were determined. LA showed a positive correlation with villous height in weaning. SA and MA were positively correlated with villous height from suckling to growing. In a previous study, non‐infectious dyspeptic diarrhea was frequently observed in growing piglets on Japanese swine farms. The maintenance of villous height to retain disaccharidase activity may prevent dyspepsic diarrhea in this stage.