Herrera Millar Valentina Rafaela, Sergio Mirko, Palus Katarzyna, Mirra Giorgio, Cialini Chiara, Pallaoro Margherita, Aidos Lucia, Mangiavini Laura, Bazzocchi Chiara, Buoio Eleonora, Costa Annamaria, Modina Silvia Clotilde Bianca, Di Giancamillo Alessia
Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy.
Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2025 Nov;37(11):e70156. doi: 10.1111/nmo.70156. Epub 2025 Sep 12.
Best Available Techniques have been introduced in the EU to counteract pollution related to intensive farming and its effect on the health of animals and workers. It is known that high levels of ammonia (NH) worsen the productive performance of animals, but the exact mechanism of interaction with the intestine is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of NH on the gut of pigs exposed to different levels since birth.
Two farms with different manure removal systems were considered (Recirculation and Vacuum), where two different NH levels were detected: high and low ammonia (recirculating slurry system, RS, and vacuum slurry system, VS, respectively). The entire production cycle was considered, and a fecal score and microbiological analyses of the feces were performed. After slaughtering, the ileum of 12 animals was sampled to evaluate ileum morphology and the expression of some neurotransmitters.
No differences were found in Peyer's patches morphology. The mucus layer thickness was higher, and the acidic mucins were lower in the RS animals. Results revealed changes in the number and area of neuronal and glial cells, and an upregulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and galanin (GAL) genes was observed.
The alteration of the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) highlighted a connection between high levels of environmental NH and neuroplasticity. Furthermore, the upregulation of ChAT and GAL genes suggests a key role in visceral pain, creating a link between peristalsis and chronic diarrhea observed in healthy pigs. Lastly, these findings are important for both animal health and human workplace safety.
欧盟已引入最佳可得技术，以应对与集约化养殖相关的污染及其对动物和工人健康的影响。众所周知，高浓度的氨（NH）会降低动物的生产性能，但氨与肠道相互作用的确切机制仍不清楚。因此，本研究旨在调查自出生起暴露于不同水平氨的猪肠道所受的影响。
研究了两个采用不同粪便清除系统的农场（循环系统和真空系统），在这两个农场中检测到了两种不同的氨水平：高氨和低氨（分别为循环 slurry 系统，RS，和真空 slurry 系统，VS）。考虑了整个生产周期，并对粪便进行了粪便评分和微生物分析。屠宰后，采集了 12 只动物的回肠样本，以评估回肠形态和一些神经递质的表达。
派伊尔结形态未发现差异。RS 组动物的黏液层厚度更高，酸性黏蛋白更低。结果显示神经元和神经胶质细胞的数量和面积发生了变化，并且观察到胆碱乙酰转移酶（ChAT）和甘丙肽（GAL）基因上调。
肠神经系统（ENS）的改变突出了环境高浓度氨与神经可塑性之间的联系。此外，ChAT 和 GAL 基因的上调表明其在内脏疼痛中起关键作用，在健康猪中观察到的蠕动和慢性腹泻之间建立了联系。最后，这些发现对动物健康和人类工作场所安全都很重要。
