Intestinal permeability in piglets during transmissible gastroenteritis

Abstract

Macromolecular permeability of the small intestine was tested in seven three-week-old piglets infected with porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGE-strain Miller). Fourteen hours after the infection, the piglets showed loss of appetite and a profuse diarrhoea. In some animals vomiting occurred somewhat earlier. Macromolecular permeability was tested morphologically by injecting horseradish peroxidase (MW = 40,000 Da) into the jejunal lumen just distally to the Treitz' ligament in two piglets at 12 hours and in five piglets at 48 hours after the inoculation in comparison with two control piglets. After a period of 20 minutes, small segments of jejunum were taken for stereomicro-scopical, histological and ultrastructural investigations. An increased permeability for HRP together with a severe, hyper-regenerative villous atrophy was observed in the TGE-infected piglets at 48 hours after the inoculation.