Appropriate soluble carbohydrate (SCHO)-to-NDF ratios in the diet are essential for rumen health. The effects of different SCHO-to-NDF ratios (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) on rumen barrier function and inflammation in Dumont lambs (n = 18, 6 replicates per treatment) was investigated. The SCHO:NDF
[...] Read more.
Appropriate soluble carbohydrate (SCHO)-to-NDF ratios in the diet are essential for rumen health. The effects of different SCHO-to-NDF ratios (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) on rumen barrier function and inflammation in Dumont lambs (n = 18, 6 replicates per treatment) was investigated. The SCHO:NDF ratio was altered by replacing the forage (
Leynus chinensis) with corn grain. With an increase in the proportion of SCHO, the final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), soluble carbohydrate intake (SCHOI), and LPS level increased; and the neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), ruminal papillae height, papillae area, and pH decreased (
p < 0.05,
plin < 0.05). The medium CHO:NDF group had increased claudin-1 mRNA (
p < 0.05,
plin = 0.005,
pquad = 0.003) and protein (
p < 0.05,
pquad < 0.001) levels; the high CHO:NDF group had increased occludin mRNA and protein (
p < 0.05,
plin = 0.001) levels. The level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly greater in the medium CHO:NDF group than in the high CHO:NDF group (
p < 0.05,
pquad < 0.001). With an increase in the ratio of SCHO, the mRNA level and concentration of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α linearly increased (
p < 0.05,
plin < 0.05), and those in the high CHO:NDF group were significantly greater than those in the low CHO:NDF group. The levels of phosphorylated p65 (
plin = 0.003), IκB-α (
plin < 0.001), and JNK (
plin = 0.001) increased linearly, and those in the high CHO:NDF group were significantly greater than those in the other two groups (
p < 0.05). Therefore, when the SCHO-to-NDF ratio was increased to 1.5, the rumen epithelium was not affected, but when the ratio was increased to 2.0, NF-κB and MAPK were activated in the rumen epithelium, leading to impaired barrier function and inflammation. The suitable NFC:NDF ratio for the short-term fattening of Dumont lambs was found to be 1.50.
Full article