College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, 150030, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine Harbin, 150030, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
BMC Vet Res. 2020 Dec 11;16(1):483. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02708-6.
Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is a retrovirus that causes severe immunosuppression in poultry. Animals grow slowly under conditions of oxidative stress. In addition, long-term oxidative stress can impair immune function, as well as accelerate aging and death. This study aimed to elucidate the pathogenesis of REV from the perspective of changes in oxidative-antioxidative function following REV infection.
A total of 80 one-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were randomly divided into a control group (Group C) and an REV-infected group (Group I). The chickens in Group I received intraperitoneal injections of REV with 10/0.1 mL TCID. Thymus was collected on day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 49 for histopathology and assessed the status of oxidative stress.
In chickens infected with REV, the levels of HO and MDA in the thymus increased, the levels of TAC, SOD, CAT, and GPx1 decreased, and there was a reduction in CAT and Gpx1 mRNA expression compared with the control group. The thymus index was also significantly reduced. Morphological analysis showed that REV infection caused an increase in the thymic reticular endothelial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, mitochondrial swelling, and nuclear damage.
These results indicate that an increase in oxidative stress enhanced lipid peroxidation, markedly decreased antioxidant function, caused thymus atrophy, and immunosuppression in REV-infected chickens.
网状内皮组织增生症病毒（REV）是一种逆转录病毒，可导致禽类严重的免疫抑制。动物在氧化应激条件下生长缓慢。此外，长期的氧化应激会损害免疫功能，加速衰老和死亡。本研究旨在从 REV 感染后氧化-抗氧化功能变化的角度阐明 REV 的发病机制。
将 80 只 1 日龄 SPF 鸡随机分为对照组（C 组）和 REV 感染组（I 组）。I 组鸡通过腹腔注射 10/0.1 mL TCID 的 REV。在第 1、3、7、14、21、28、35 和 49 天采集胸腺进行组织病理学检查，并评估氧化应激状态。
在感染 REV 的鸡中，胸腺中的 HO 和 MDA 水平升高，TAC、SOD、CAT 和 GPx1 水平降低，与对照组相比，CAT 和 Gpx1 mRNA 表达减少。胸腺指数也显著降低。形态学分析表明，REV 感染导致胸腺网状内皮细胞增多、炎症细胞浸润、线粒体肿胀和核损伤。
这些结果表明，氧化应激的增加增强了脂质过氧化，显著降低了抗氧化功能，导致感染 REV 的鸡的胸腺萎缩和免疫抑制。
