ArticleAnimal microbiome2025
The impact of early-life rearing conditions on the porcine gut microbiota and immune system.
Article in Animal microbiome, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- From forest to farm: the impact of a broad spectrum of lifestyles on the porcine gut microbiota.Current research in microbial sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEarly life represents an unparalleled window in the life of the pig in which the gut microbiota interacts with its host's naïve immune system. Yet, modern swine production often favours conditions that promote production efficiency rather than enriched microbiota development, the long-term consequences of which remain poorly understood. This study sought to analyse the long-term impacts of early-life rearing conditions on the gut microbiota until day 90, and in turn, its physiological and immunological consequences. We established two rearing conditions from farrowing until day 90: enriched, microbiota-enhancing husbandry characterised by weaning at 6 weeks and the provision of litter material throughout; and restricted, microbiota-depleting husbandry comprising weaning at 3 weeks and antibiotic administration from days 2 to 9. The day 42 faecal, and day 90 ileal and faecal microbiotas underwent 16 S V1-V9 rRNA gene sequencing. Intestinal and faecal volatile fatty acids were measured via gas chromatography, haematological parameters were assessed from whole blood, and serum immunoglobulin G was measured. Immune-focused gene expression in the spleen and ileum was also measured via qPCR.
resultsThe faecal microbiota exhibited differential β-diversity by group at both timepoints. On day 90, enriched pigs exhibited significantly elevated ileal villus height to crypt depth ratios, which were negatively correlated with serum IgG. Conversely, restricted pigs had more branched-chain fatty acids in the colon and faeces, alongside signs of heightened immune activity, with haematology showing enhanced neutrophil activation, and elevated lymphocyte and IgG levels. In the spleen, gene sets comprising genes for the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-15 and IFN-γ were upregulated among restricted pigs, while enriched pigs exhibited better-primed innate immune systems.
conclusionsThese findings demonstrate long-term impacts of early-life rearing on faecal microbiota composition. We furthermore observed a potential shift towards inflammation and altered haematology associated with the microbiota.
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.