Transcriptional analysis of porcine intestinal mucosa infected with Salmonella Typhimurium revealed a massive inflammatory response and disruption of bile acid absorption in ileum.

Infected pork meat is an important source of non-typhoidal human salmonellosis. Understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis is important for the development of therapeutic and preventive strategies. Thus, hereby we study the transcriptional profiles along the porcine intestine during infection with Salmonella Typhimurium, as well as post-transcriptional gene modulation by microRNAs (miRNA). Sixteen piglets were orally challenged with S. Typhimurium. Samples from jejunum, ileum and colon, collected 1, 2 and 6 days post infection (dpi) were hybridized to mRNA and miRNA expression microarrays and analyzed. Jejunum showed a reduced transcriptional response indicating mild inflammation only at 2 dpi. In ileum inflammatory genes were overexpressed (e.g., IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL1RAP, TNFα), indicating a strong immune response at all times of infection. Infection also down-regulated genes of the FXR pathway (e.g., NR1H4, FABP6, APOA1, SLC10A2), indicating disruption of the bile acid absorption in ileum. This result was confirmed by decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum of infected pigs. Ileal inflammatory gene expression changes peaked at 2 dpi and tended to resolve at 6 dpi. Furthermore, miRNA analysis of ileum at 2 dpi revealed 62 miRNAs potentially regulating target genes involved in this inflammatory process (e.g., miR-374 and miR-451). In colon, genes involved in epithelial adherence, proliferation and cellular reorganization were down-regulated at 2 and 6 dpi. In summary, here we show the transcriptional changes occurring at the intestine at different time points of the infection, which are mainly related to inflammation and disruption of the bile acid metabolism.