Study on the relationship between the expression of <I>BPI</I> gene and <I>Escherichia coli</I> F18 infection in piglets

Based on the established resource populations of Sutai pig, the expression of BPI gene was assayed by Real-time PCR to detect the tissue expression and analyze the differential expression between Escherichia coli F18-resistant and sensitive piglets. This study aimed at providing a theoretical foundation for further research on the role BPI gene in host immunity and resistance to E. coli F18. The results showed that the expression of BPI gene was extremely low or undetectable in tissues including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, muscle, thymus, and lymph nodes, which was in a stark contrast to the significantly high levels in duodenum and jejunum. In the tissues of both jejunum and duodenum, the mRNA expression of BPI gene in resistant individuals was significant higher than that in the sensitive individuals (Pamp;0.05). The results suggested that BPI gene was likely to be related to the intestinal infection caused by E. coli F18. It is possible that the increased expression of BPI gene in intestinal is in connection with the resistance to E. coli F18.