Theo Niewold

IntroductionEnterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a diverse group of pathogens that are characterized by the ability to colonize the small intestine while producing enterotoxins, which induce severe secretory diarrhea [1,2]. ETEC strains are recognized as one of the major causes of dehydrating diarrhea in children in developing countries and as an important causative agent of traveler’ ...

IntroductionMultiple immune cells are involved to sense “danger signals” and activate and control a local immune response in the mucosa of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Resident and infiltrating immune cells collaborate with functional epithelial cells to respond to pathogens and toxic residues formed after digestion of feed/foods. Specialized cells (e.g. M cells) and enterocyte-con ...

IntroductionProbiotic bacteria may exert a beneficial effect on the host’s health by steering immunological reactions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. One example for a bacterial strain that is applied in fermented probiotic drinks is Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum: De Vries et al. 2006; Molin 2001). L. plantarum originates from healthy human colonic mucosa and belongs to the predo ...

IntroductionAnimal vocalisations can contain information such as signalling threats [1], choosing mates [2] or alerting infants for suckling [3]. In case of livestock animals, information contained in vocalisations or other animals sounds could serve as valuable information for the farmer. A very good example is the rich vocal repertoire of pigs [4–6]. For instance, high frequency calls of p ...

Gut health is a very important determinant for health and performance in production animals. The intestinal innate immune system is central in maintaining gut health. Each feed intake leads to postprandial (low-grade) inflammation response in the (small) intestines, the magnitude of which is related to the caloric value, the glycemic index and specific feed components. If not contained, postprandi ...

I. INTRODUCTION The gut is a very crucial organ for maintaining health. Apart from absorbing nutrients, it is also the barrier against unwanted compounds and germs. The immune system in the intestines plays an important role in this. Immune cells such as inflammatory cells were thought to be central, and until recently, the enterocyte layer was considered a simple physical barrier. Now, it is know ...