Effect of dietary supplementation of fish oil for lactating sows and weaned piglets on piglet Th polarization

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary fish oil supplementation on piglet T helper cells (Th) polarization in relation to its impact on piglet serum interferon γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) concentrations and splenic expression of Th1/Th2 characteristic genes. The diets of 18 gestating sows were supplemented with 7% lard (C) (n = 10) or 7% fish oil (T) (n = 8) from 10 d before parturition to weaning. At weaning, a split plot experiment was designed, 56 piglets, 28 each from sows fed with fish oil diet or lard diet, were divided into four groups of 7 replicates (one female and one castrated male per replicate) based on both sow diet during lactation and post-weaning piglet diet (C had 7% lard and T had 7% fish oil): CC, CT, TC, TT, and were fed the 7% fish oil or lard diet from day 35 to day 70. Serum concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-10, and Th1/Th2 related genes expression levels in spleen were measured and analyzed. The results showed that piglets fed with fish oil diet during post-weaning tended to have higher serum IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio (P = 0.09) than lard diet fed piglets. Lactation fish oil feeding increased splenic IL-12b, IL-12 receptor β2 (IL-12Rβ2), IL-2 and IFN-γ genes expression (P