Supplemental vitamin C and yeast cell wall β-glucan as growth enhancers in newborn pigs and as immunomodulators after an endot

To test possible dietary immune modulators, 32 crossbred male pigs were given 1 of 4 dietary treatments (8 pigs/treatment): control, Saccharomyces cerevisiae with β-glucan (Energy Plus, Natural Chem Industries LTD, Houston, TX; 0.312 g/kg of BW, 2.5% of diet), vitamin C (Stay C 35, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., Prisippany, NJ; 75 ppm), or β-glucan plus vitamin C together (combination; 0.312 g/kg of BW and 75 ppm, respectively). Supplements were given in whole milk within 36 h of birth and then daily for 2 wk until weaning, when the supplement was given in feed for an additional 2 wk. Growth was recorded during the 4 wk of supplement delivery. An i.v. lipopolysaccharide challenge (LPS; 150 g/kg) was given 14 d postweaning at 0900. Behavior was observed, and blood samples were collected every 30 min for 4 h via a jugular catheter from −1 (0800) to 3 (1200) h relative to challenge (−60, −30, 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min), and tissues were collected after exsanguination. Beta-glucan (glucan and combination) increased (P < 0.05) BW and ADG compared with vitamin C and control. Cortisol concentrations showed an interaction (P < 0.05) of the β-glucan and vitamin C. Intestinal expression of tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNA was greatest for vitamin C and