Atlas of the Pig Gut: Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood

Atlas of the Pig Gut: Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood examines the development of the gastrointestinal tract in swine. It focuses on changes occurring during the developmental phase, with an emphasis on the gut that is reflected in alterations of the intestinal mucosa architecture. Led by leading experts in pig digestion research, the book contains descriptions and microphotographs of the most updated research. The changes occurring in the intestine are presented in a comprehensive order, from small magnifications of tissue structures to high magnifications of fragments of epithelium-building cell structures. Additionally, the book highlights the replacement mechanism of epithelial cells during the development of the small intestinal mucosa.

This book is the ideal resource for animal science researchers and practitioners. In addition, swine veterinarians and academics will also find it useful due to its helpful, detailed graphics and organized structure.

• Discusses microscopic techniques for observing changes in the gastrointestinal mucosa structure and guidelines for avoiding common analysis errors
• Features original micrographs obtained from light, confocal and scanning electron microscopy
• Provides carefully-worded directions for learning the basic mammalian anatomy and morphology of the gut

• Language: English
• Publisher: Academic Press
• Release date: Apr 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9780128189627

Book preview

WM2007–2013.

Chapter 1: How to use this atlas?

Romuald Zabielskia; Tomasz Skrzypekb    a Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

b Laboratory of Confocal and Electron Microscopy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Faculty of Science and Health, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

In the digestive system, the intestine, especially the small intestine, plays a key role in the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients. The proper function of the intestine is enabled by a complex system of tissues responsible for the flow and mixing of the gastric content, digestion thereof into low-molecular-weight substances, absorption of nutrients, and defense against undesirable components or pathogens arriving with food. In this context, the functions of the small intestinal mucosa, which is covered by a single-layer epithelium and characterized by an extremely intense cell renewal process, are particularly fascinating, since it fulfills the role of an intelligent barrier determining what and in what amount can be admitted into the body. This barrier plays a special role in the first hours of postnatal life in mammalian species, as it facilitates passive immunity in the newborn by allowing the passage of high-molecular immunoglobulins and many other biologically active molecules into the body. This is what happens in the domestic pig and other mammals. Hence, the pig's intestine has become the focus of the Atlas of the Pig Gut. Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood.

The intestine and its functions have been the subject of a great number of studies, scientific publications, and textbooks. In the Atlas of the Pig Gut. Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood we propose, based on our several years of experience in the techniques of light and electron microscopy, a different look at the intestine. We present a selection of micrographs showing dynamic changes in the postnatal structure of the intestine. Studying these structural changes enabled us to understand better the functions and the regulatory mechanisms influencing the postnatal gut development. Three-dimensional images from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) helped us to reevaluate our understanding of the gut mucosa structure built on studying 2D photographs from the light microscope. Sometimes, structures that were overlooked or even considered as artifacts in 2D images gained importance in SEM 3D images and helped us to explain some missing details of mucosa rebuilding and growth.

In the first part of the Atlas of the Pig Gut. Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood, we present a range of useful information, recommended especially for those who are new to microscopic examinations. We discuss the most important stages of the techniques of histology, from the collection of intestinal tissues to obtaining good quality images, and we present approved and disapproved methods for processing of microscope images intended for publication. All stages are equally important, but artifacts produced during the tissue-sampling phase are in most cases irreversible, even if we have the best equipment in our histological laboratory and top-class microscopes in our hands. Quantification of histological details in 2D and 3D images is another important issue in studying the gut development. Nowadays when digitalization of images is common and many computer programs for image analysis are available, the quantification may help to describe the dynamics of the processes better and provide sets of data for statistical evaluation. We show a number of intriguing results obtained during pig gut mucosa development after quantification of data.

In the following chapters, we show the structure of tissues building the gut, and next we describe the postnatal development of the pig gut. Besides timing, which is different according to species, the overall scheme of the pig gut development, including the presence of fetal-type enterocytes and removal thereof, well reflects the postnatal development of most mammalian species, including humans. Finally, we show very few examples of how microscopy studies may help in studying different infectious diseases of the gut. However, we think that the use of microscopy techniques for diagnostic purposes is limited mostly due to the fast appearance of postmortem changes in the gut.

Chapter 2: How to get a proper 2D and 3D image?

Tomasz Skrzypeka; Waldemar Kazimierczakb; Emil Ziębaa; Jarosław Olszewskic; Karolina Ferencc; Romuald Zabielskic    a Laboratory of Confocal and Electron Microscopy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Faculty of Science and Health, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lubin, Poland

b Laboratory of Biocontrol, Production and Application of EPN, Faculty of Science and Health, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

c Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Chapter discusses procedures of collection and preparation of gut samples for light and electron microscopy studies, and all further steps to get proper image. Approved and disapproved methods of influencing the microscopy image are briefly reviewed. Finally, the most often used methods of quantitative evaluation of the objects seen in the digital microscopy images were