Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
International Joint Research Laboratory of Agricultural and Agri-product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Virulence. 2023 Dec;14(1):2185380. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2185380.
Since its discovery, QX-type avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has rapidly spread worldwide and become the most prevalent dominant genotype in Asia and Europe. Currently, although the pathogenicity of QX-type IBV in the reproductive system of hens is widely and deeply understood, its pathogenicity in the reproductive system of roosters remains largely unknown. In this study, 30-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) roosters were used to investigate the pathogenicity of QX-type IBV in the reproductive system after infection. The results showed that QX-type IBV infection caused abnormal testicular morphology, moderate atrophy and obvious dilatation of seminiferous tubules, and produced intense inflammation and obvious pathological injuries in the ductus deferens of infected chickens. Immunohistochemistry results showed that QX-type IBV can replicate in spermatogenic cells at various stages and in the mucous layer of the ductus deferens. Further studies showed that QX-type IBV infection affects plasma levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone as well as causes changes in transcription levels of their receptors in the testis. Furthermore, the transcription levels of StAR, P450scc, 3βHSD and 17βHSD4 also changed during testosterone synthesis after QX-type IBV infection, indicating that the virus can directly affect steroidogenesis. Finally, we found that QX-type IBV infection leads to extensive germ cell apoptosis in the testis. Collectively, our results suggest that QX-type IBV replicates in the testis and ductus deferens, causing severe tissue damage and disruption of reproductive hormone secretion. These adverse events eventually lead to mass germ cell apoptosis in the testis, affecting the reproductive function of roosters.
自发现以来，QX 型禽传染性支气管炎病毒（IBV）已迅速在全球范围内传播，并成为亚洲和欧洲最流行的优势基因型。目前，虽然人们广泛而深入地了解了 QX 型 IBV 对母鸡生殖系统的致病性，但对其在公鸡生殖系统中的致病性仍知之甚少。在这项研究中，使用 30 周龄的无特定病原体（SPF）公鸡来研究 QX 型 IBV 感染后对公鸡生殖系统的致病性。结果表明，QX 型 IBV 感染导致睾丸形态异常，曲细精管中度萎缩和明显扩张，并在感染鸡的输精管中产生强烈的炎症和明显的病理损伤。免疫组织化学结果表明，QX 型 IBV 可在各个阶段的生精细胞和输精管的黏膜层中复制。进一步的研究表明，QX 型 IBV 感染影响血浆中睾酮、促黄体生成素和卵泡刺激素的水平，并导致睾丸中这些激素受体的转录水平发生变化。此外，在 QX 型 IBV 感染后，雄烯二酮合成过程中的 StAR、P450scc、3βHSD 和 17βHSD4 的转录水平也发生了变化，表明该病毒可以直接影响类固醇生成。最后，我们发现 QX 型 IBV 感染导致睾丸中广泛的生殖细胞凋亡。综上所述，我们的研究结果表明，QX 型 IBV 在睾丸和输精管中复制，导致严重的组织损伤和生殖激素分泌紊乱。这些不良事件最终导致睾丸中大量生殖细胞凋亡，影响公鸡的生殖功能。
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