Ye Dingcheng, Ding Xiaoning, Pang Shuo, Gan Yating, Li Zhechen, Gan Qianfu, Fang Shaoming
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Fujian Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou 350013, China.
College of Animal Science (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Dec 28;14(1):113. doi: 10.3390/ani14010113.
In this study, we investigated the variations in production performance, health status, and gut microbiota of meat rabbits raised in the semi-confined barn during summer and winter. Compared to summer, rabbits reared in winter possessed significantly higher slaughter weight and carcass weight. Rabbits fed in the summer were more vulnerable to different stressors, which led to increased protein levels of HSP90, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, and concentrations of MDA, but declined GSH and SOD activities. Additionally, significant differences in gut microbial communities were observed. Compared to the winter, rabbits fed in the summer had significantly lower and higher alpha and beta diversity. Both Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobiota were the dominant phyla, and they accounted for greater proportions in the winter than in the summer. At lower microbial taxa levels, several seasonal differentially enriched microbes were identified, such as , the , the , , and Muribaculaceae. Functional capacities linked to microbial proliferation, nutrient metabolism, and environmental adaptive responses exhibited significantly different abundances between summer and winter. Moreover, strong interactions among different indicators were presented. Based on our findings, we not only proposed several potential strategies to ameliorate the undesirable effects of seasonal changes on the productivity and health of meat rabbits but also underscored the directions for future mechanistic studies of adaptation physiology.
在本研究中，我们调查了半封闭式兔舍中肉兔在夏季和冬季的生产性能、健康状况及肠道微生物群的变化。与夏季相比，冬季饲养的兔子屠宰体重和胴体重显著更高。夏季饲养的兔子更容易受到不同应激源的影响，这导致热休克蛋白90（HSP90）、白细胞介素-1α（IL-1α）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、白细胞介素-2（IL-2）的蛋白水平以及丙二醛（MDA）浓度升高，但谷胱甘肽（GSH）和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性下降。此外，观察到肠道微生物群落存在显著差异。与冬季相比，夏季饲养的兔子的α多样性显著更低，β多样性显著更高。厚壁菌门和疣微菌门均为优势菌门，它们在冬季所占比例高于夏季。在较低的微生物分类水平上，鉴定出了几种季节性差异富集的微生物，如[此处原文缺失具体微生物名称]、[此处原文缺失具体微生物名称]、[此处原文缺失具体微生物名称]、[此处原文缺失具体微生物名称]和毛螺菌科。与微生物增殖、营养代谢和环境适应性反应相关的功能能力在夏季和冬季之间表现出显著不同的丰度。此外，不同指标之间存在强烈的相互作用。基于我们的研究结果，我们不仅提出了几种潜在策略来改善季节变化对肉兔生产力和健康的不良影响，还强调了未来适应生理学机制研究的方向。
