Effects of ND vaccination combined LPS on growth performance, antioxidant performance and lipid metabolism of broiler

Mechanisms of the effects of turpiniae folium extract on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant activity and intestinal barrier function in LPS-challenged broilers

Turpiniae folium extract (TFE) has shown anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in broilers. However, its mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which TFE influences growth performance, jejunal morphology, immune function, antioxidant capacity and barrier integrity in broilers challenged with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 240 one-day-old female broilers were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of ten birds each. A 2 × 2 factorial design with TFE (basal diets supplemented with 0 or 500 mg/kg TFE) and LPS challenge (intraperitoneal injection of 1 mg/kg body weight of sterile saline or LPS at 21, 23 and 25 days of age). The trial lasted for 26 days. The results showed that: Prior to the LPS challenge, dietary supplementation with TFE for 21 days increased both average daily gain (ADG) (P = 0.037) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P = 0.045) in broilers. During the LPS challenge period, LPS challenge led to a decline in growth performance and a negative impact on intestinal morphology, while TFE supplementation significantly reversed these adverse effects, as evidenced by increases in ADG (P = 0.004), ADFI (P = 0.046), jejunal villus height (VH) (P = 0.035), the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) (P = 0.007) and decreases in the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (P = 0.025), jejunal crypt depth (CD) (P = 0.049). LPS induced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the jejunum, leading to a significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory factor gene and protein expression, and a marked downregulation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant gene and protein expression. TFE supplementation mitigated these effects by yielding completely opposite results except for the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein (P = 0.916). LPS negatively regulates the expression of genes and proteins involved in intestinal mucosal barrier function. In contrast, TFE supplementation significantly upregulated the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) (P < 0.001) gene and ZO-1 (P < 0.001), occludin (OCLN) (P < 0.001), claudin (CLDN) (P < 0.001) proteins. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with TFE effectively counteracts the intestinal immune and oxidative stress induced by LPS challenge in broilers, improves intestinal mucosal barrier integrity and tissue morphology, and ultimately mitigates the negative impact of LPS on broiler growth performance. This effect may involve the modulation of the Nrf2 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways.

Effects of compatibility of Clostridium butyricum and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and cecal microflora of broilers during the starter phase

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the effects of compatibility of Clostridium butyricum and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and cecal microflora of broilers during the starter phase.

METHODS

A total of 600 1-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into two groups with six replicates in each group. Chickens in the control group were fed a basal diet, while chickens in the experimental group were fed a diet supplemented with 2×108 colony forming units (CFU)/kg of C. butyricum and 1×109 CFU/kg of B. subtilis. The experimental period was 21 days.

RESULTS

Addition of C. butyricum and B. subtilis significantly increased (p<0.05) the body weight and liver nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) activity of broilers, enhanced (p<0.05) the average daily gain and average daily feed intake of broilers. However, the addition of C. butyricum and B. subtilis did not significantly affect the concentrations of triglyceride and total cholesterol in the serum, the activities of fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the liver, the total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase activity and malondialdehyde content in the serum and liver. Besides, microbial analysis revealed that supplementation of C. butyricum and B. subtilis increased (p<0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes such as CHKCI001 and Faecalibacterium, decreased (p<0.05) the abundance of Bacteroidota such as Bacteroides and Alistipes. Spearman correlation analysis confirmed that the above cecal microbiota were closely related to the growth performance of broilers (p<0.05). In addition, simultaneous supplementation of C. butyricum and B. subtilis significant affected (p<0.05) 33 different functional pathways such as lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. This explains the phenomenon of increased growth performance and liver NADP-ME activity in the probiotics group.

CONCLUSION

The compatibility of C. butyricum and B. subtilis could improve the growth of broilers during the starter phase by changing the cecal microflora.

Effects of Neolamarckia cadamba leaves extract on microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes in cecal contents and feces of broilers challenged with lipopolysaccharides

The effects of Neolamarckia cadamba leaves extract (NCLE), with effective ingredients of flavonoids, on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and relevant microorganisms in cecal contents and feces of broilers treated with or without lipopolysaccharide stimulation (LPS) were investigated. LPS stimulation increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as tet(W/N/W), APH(3')-IIIa, ErmB, tet (44), ANT (6)-Ia, tet(O), tet (32), Vang_ACT_CHL, myrA, ANT (6)-Ib, IncQ1, tniB, and rep2 in cecal contents. However, the difference disappeared (P > 0.05) when NCLE was added at the same time. These differential ARGs and MGEs were mainly correlated (P < 0.01) with Clostridiales bacterium, Lachnospiraceae bacterium, and Candidatus Woodwardibium gallinarum. These species increased in LPS-stimulated broilers and decreased when NCLE was applied at the same time. In feces, LPS stimulation decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of tet(Q), adeF, ErmF, Mef(En2), OXA-347, tet (40), npmA, tmrB, CfxA3, and ISCrsp1, while the LPS + NCLE treated group showed no significant effect (P > 0.05) on these ARGs. These differential ARGs and MGEs in feces were mainly correlated (P < 0.01) with Clostridiales bacterium, Pseudoflavonifractor sp. An184, Flavonifractor sp. An10, Ruminococcaceae bacterium, etc. These species increased in LPS-stimulated broilers and increased when NCLE was applied at the same time. In conclusion, LPS stimulation and NCLE influenced microbial communities and associated ARGs in both cecal contents and feces of broilers. NCLE alleviated the change of ARGs and MGEs in LPS-induced broilers by maintaining the microbial balance.IMPORTANCEAntibiotics showed a positive effect on gut health regulation and growth performance improvement in livestock breeding, but the antimicrobial resistance threat and environment pollution problem are increasingly severe with antibiotics abuse. As alternatives, plant extract containing bioactive substances are increasingly used to improve immunity and promote productivity. However, little is known about their effects on diversity and abundance of ARGs. Here, we investigated the effects of NCLE, with effective ingredients of flavonoids, on ARGs and relevant microorganisms in cecal contents and feces of broilers treated with or without lipopolysaccharide stimulation. We found that NCLE reduced the abundance of ARGs in cecal contents of lipopolysaccharide-induced broilers by maintaining the microbial balance. This study provides a comprehensive view of cecal and fecal microbial community, ARGs, and MGEs of broiler following LPS stimulation and NCLE treatment. It might be used to understand and control ARGs dissemination in livestock production.

Prospect of research on anti-atherosclerosis effect of main components of traditional Chinese medicine Yiqi Huoxue Huatan recipe through gut microbiota: A review

The incidence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases are on the rise globally, posing a severe threat to human health. Atherosclerosis (AS) is considered a multi-factorial inflammatory disease and the main pathological basis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as the leading cause of death. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota can induce and exacerbate inflammatory reactions, accelerate metabolic disorders and immune function decline, and affect the progression and prognosis of AS-related diseases. The Chinese herbal medicine clinicians frequently utilize Yiqi Huoxue Huatan recipe, an effective therapeutic approach for the management of AS. This article reviews the correlation between the main components of Yiqi Huoxue Huatan recipe and the gut microbiota and AS to provide new directions and a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of AS.

RNA sequencing reveals CircRNA expression profiles in chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with velogenic Newcastle disease virus

Introduction

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an important avian pathogen prevalent worldwide; it has an extensive host range and seriously harms the poultry industry. Velogenic NDV strains exhibit high pathogenicity and mortality in chickens. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are among the most abundant and conserved eukaryotic transcripts. They are part of the innate immunity and antiviral response. However, the relationship between circRNAs and NDV infection is unclear.

Methods

In this study, we used circRNA transcriptome sequencing to analyze the differences in circRNA expression profiles post velogenic NDV infection in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to reveal significant enrichment of differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs. The circRNA- miRNA-mRNA interaction networks were further predicted. Moreover, circ-EZH2 was selected to determine its effect on NDV infection in CEFs.

Results

NDV infection altered circRNA expression profiles in CEFs, and 86 significantly DE circRNAs were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed significant enrichment of DE circRNAs for metabolism-related pathways, such as lysine degradation, glutaminergic synapse, and alanine, aspartic-acid, and glutamic-acid metabolism. The circRNA- miRNA-mRNA interaction networks further demonstrated that CEFs might combat NDV infection by regulating metabolism through circRNA-targeted mRNAs and miRNAs. Furthermore, we verified that circ-EZH2 overexpression and knockdown inhibited and promoted NDV replication, respectively, indicating that circRNAs are involved in NDV replication.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that CEFs exert antiviral responses by forming circRNAs, offering new insights into the mechanisms underlying NDV-host interactions.

Regional immunity of chicken adipose tissue responds to secondary immunity induced by Newcastle disease vaccine via promoting immune activation and weakening lipid metabolism

Adipose tissue (AT) is considered as a regional immune organ and plays an important role in the anti-infection immune response. However, the function and mechanism of chicken AT in response to secondary immune response remain poorly understood. Here, we used mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) sequencing technology to survey the transcriptomic landscape of chicken abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) during the first and second immunization with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine, and carried out bioinformatics analysis, such as Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, and miRNA-mRNA integrated analysis. The results indicated that chicken AAT actively responded to the secondary immune response. DNA replication and cytoskeleton regulation as the regulatory functions of immune activation changed significantly, and weakened lipid metabolism was an effective strategy for the secondary immunity. Mechanically, the regulatory network between the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and their targeted differentially expressed genes (DEGs), such as miR-206/miR-499-5p-nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3)/methylsterol monooxygenase 1 (MSMO1) pathway, was one of the potential key mechanisms by which AAT responded to the secondary immune response. In conclusion, regional immunity of chicken AT responds to secondary immunity by promoting immune activation and weakening lipid metabolism, and this study can instruct future research on antiviral strategy.

Effects of anti-stress agents on the growth performance and immune function in broiler chickens with vaccination-induced stress

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of anti-stress agents on the growth performance and immune function of broilers under immune stress conditions induced by vaccination. A total of 128, 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into four groups. Group normal control (NC) was the control group. Group vaccination control (VC), T 0.5%, and T 1% were the treatment groups, which were nasally vaccinated with two doses of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine. The chicks in groups T 0.5% and T 1% were fed conventional diets containing 0.5% and 1% anti-stress agents. Thereafter, these broilers were slaughtered on 1, 7, 14, and 21 days post-vaccination. The results indicated that anti-stress agents could significantly reduce serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (P < 0.01) and cortisol (CORT) (P < 0.05) levels, and improve the growth performance (P < 0.05) and immune function of broilers (P < 0.05); However, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05) were decreased, and the decreased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P < 0.01) levels mediated by vaccination were markedly improved. In addition, anti-stress agents could attenuate apoptosis in spleen lymphocytes (P < 0.01) by upregulating the ratio of Bcl-2 to BAX (P < 0.01) and downregulating the expression of caspase-3 and -9 (P < 0.01), which might be attributed to the inhibition of the enzymatic activities of caspase-3 and -9 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, anti-stress agents may improve growth performance and immune function in broilers under immune-stress conditions.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Investigation of effects and mechanism of immune stress induced by vaccination.Beneficial effect of anti-stress agents on growth performance, immune function, oxidative stress, and regulation of lymphocyte apoptosis.Demonstration of the effects of apoptosis on immune function in the organism.

Low-protein diets supplemented with isoleucine alleviate lipid deposition in broilers through activating 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathways

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of isoleucine (Ile) on growth performance, meat quality and lipid metabolism of broilers fed a low-protein diet (LPD). The 396 one-day-old male Cobb broilers were allocated to 4 treatment groups as follows: control diet (CON), LPD, LPD + 0.13% Ile (LPD-LI) and LPD + 0.26% Ile (LPD-HI), with nine replicates of 11 broilers each for 42 d. The Ile increased average daily gain, average daily feed intake, fiber density and the mRNA level of myosin heavy chain (MyHC)-I in breast muscle, and decreased feed to gain ratio, shear force, fiber diameter and the mRNA level of MyHC-IIb in breast muscle, which were impaired by the LPD. Compared to the LPD group, broilers in LPD-LI and LPD-HI groups had lower serum lipid levels, liver fat content, abdominal adipose percentage and mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α, ki-67, topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) and thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase 2 in abdominal adipose and liver X receptors-α, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in liver, and higher mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α, carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (CPT-1), and acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) in liver, which were equal to the CON levels. A LPD supplemented with Ile decreased enzyme activities of ACC and FAS in liver and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and TOP2A in abdominal adipose, and increased enzyme activities of CPT-1 and ACOX1 in liver. Furthermore, Ile supplementation enhanced the mRNA level of leptin receptor and protein levels of phospho-5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mechanistic target of rapamycin, ribosomal protein 70 S6 kinase, janus kinase 2 (JAK2), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and decreased the protein level of SREBP1 in the liver of broilers in LPD group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with Ile to 0.83% could improve growth performance and meat quality and alleviate lipid deposition of broilers fed a LPD through activating AMPK and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways.

Effect of dietary resveratrol supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal immunity and gut microbiota in yellow-feathered broilers challenged with lipopolysaccharide

Resveratrol (RES) displays strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in protecting the animals from various stressors and inflammatory injuries, but its interrelationship with the gut microbiota remained largely unclear. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary RES supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal immunity and gut microbiota in yellow-feathered broilers challenged by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 240 yellow-feathered broilers were randomly assigned to four treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The broilers were fed with the control diet or control diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg RES, followed by challenge with LPS or the same amount of saline. Dietary RES supplementation significantly alleviated the decreases in the final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and ADFI induced by LPS (P &lt; 0.05). LPS challenge significantly increased plasma concentrations of triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and cortisol levels, but decreased triiodothyronine (T3) and insulin levels (P &lt; 0.05). Dietary supplementation with RES significantly reversed the elevated creatinine concentrations and the decreased concentrations of T3 and insulin caused by LPS (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, dietary RES supplementation significantly increased plasma total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) activities and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and T-AOC activities in jejunal mucosa and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the plasma (P &lt; 0.05). The reduction in the villus height to crypt depth ratio in duodenum, jejunum and ileum and the shortening of villus height in jejunum and ileum caused by LPS were also alleviated by RES treatment (P &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the increased concentrations of intestinal tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β caused by LPS were significantly decreased by RES treatment (P &lt; 0.05). Dietary RES treatment increased the mRNA expression of claudin-1, claudin-5, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and decreased mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-17, and TNF-α after LPS challenge (P &lt; 0.05). Dietary RES treatments significantly decreased the dominance of cecal microbiota, and increased the Pieiou-e and Simpson index. Moreover, dietary RES supplementation increased relative abundance of UCG_ 009, Erysipelotrichaceae, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Anaerotruncus, RF39, and Ruminococcus while decreasing the abundance of Alistipes at genus level. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the microbes at the order and genus levels significantly correlated with indicators of growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health. Collectively, dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg RES could improve growth performance and antioxidant capacity, and modulate intestinal immunity in yellow-feathered broilers challenged by LPS at early stage, which might be closely associated with the regulation of gut microbiota community composition.

Effect of Immune Stress on Growth Performance and Immune Functions of Livestock: Mechanisms and Prevention

Simple Summary

Immune stress is an important stressor in domestic animals that leads to decreased feed intake, slow growth, and reduced disease resistance of pigs and poultry. Especially in high-density animal feeding conditions, the risk factor of immune stress is extremely high, as they are easily harmed by pathogens, and frequent vaccinations are required to enhance the immunity function of the animals. This review mainly describes the causes, mechanisms of immune stress and its prevention and treatment measures. This provides a theoretical basis for further research and development of safe and efficient prevention and control measures for immune stress in animals.

Abstract

Immune stress markedly affects the immune function and growth performance of livestock, including poultry, resulting in financial loss to farmers. It can lead to decreased feed intake, reduced growth, and intestinal disorders. Studies have shown that pathogen-induced immune stress is mostly related to TLR4-related inflammatory signal pathway activation, excessive inflammatory cytokine release, oxidative stress, hormonal disorders, cell apoptosis, and intestinal microbial disorders. This paper reviews the occurrence of immune stress in livestock, its impact on immune function and growth performance, and strategies for immune stress prevention.