Chen Ya-Mei, Wei Peng, Liao Hsing-Yu, Tsai Yu-Wei, Cheng Ming-Chu, Lien Yi-Yang
College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu, Pingtung County 912301, Taiwan.
College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu, Pingtung County 912301, Taiwan.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jun 16;104(9):105412. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105412.
The coccidian Eimeria necatrix infects the mid-intestine of chickens, causing hemorrhage and resulting in significant economic losses. However, there is a lack of a clear method for evaluating the tissue lesions caused by E. necatrix infection. Moreover, the impact of E. necatrix infection on gut microbiota and metabolites remains to be explored. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of E. necatrix infection on the intestinal tissues of chickens and establish a novel histopathological scoring system for evaluating lesion severity. In addition, changes in gut microbiota and metabolites after E. necatrix infection were evaluated. Chickens aged 3 weeks were divided into 5 groups (4 experimental groups and a control group), with 6 chickens in each group. The experimental groups were orally inoculated with different concentrations of E. necatrix oocysts. Intestinal and fecal samples were collected on 7 days post-infection (DPI) and analyzed. Chickens infected with a high dose of E. necatrix exhibited diarrhea, bloody stools, and partial mortality within 6 DPI. Pathological analysis revealed a remarkable reduction in villous height, along with severe hemorrhage, necrosis, and inflammation. The histopathological scoring system revealed a strong correlation with other disease-related indicators, such as weight loss and oocyst shedding, demonstrating its stability and accuracy. Furthermore, the severity of villous lesions was closely associated with alterations in gut microbiota composition. Microbiota analysis showed a considerable reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus in the high-dose group, whereas the abundance of potential pathogenic bacteria, including Shigella and Escherichia coli, increased, causing gut dysbiosis. Finally, metabolomic analysis indicated that E. necatrix infection disrupted energy and amino acid metabolism, particularly affecting glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and pyruvate metabolism. Overall, this study establishes a reliable histopathological scoring method and confirms that E. necatrix infection causes gut dysbiosis and metabolic abnormalities through tissue damage. These data provide novel insights into the diagnosis and treatment of coccidiosis in chickens.
球虫艾美耳球虫感染鸡的中肠,引起出血并导致重大经济损失。然而,目前缺乏一种明确的方法来评估由艾美耳球虫感染引起的组织损伤。此外,艾美耳球虫感染对肠道微生物群和代谢产物的影响仍有待探索。因此,本研究旨在调查艾美耳球虫感染对鸡肠道组织的影响,并建立一种新的组织病理学评分系统来评估病变严重程度。此外,还评估了艾美耳球虫感染后肠道微生物群和代谢产物的变化。将3周龄的鸡分为5组(4个实验组和1个对照组),每组6只鸡。实验组口服接种不同浓度的艾美耳球虫卵囊。在感染后7天(dpi)收集肠道和粪便样本并进行分析。感染高剂量艾美耳球虫的鸡在6 dpi内出现腹泻、血便和部分死亡。病理分析显示绒毛高度显著降低,伴有严重出血、坏死和炎症。组织病理学评分系统与体重减轻和卵囊排出等其他疾病相关指标显示出强烈相关性,证明了其稳定性和准确性。此外,绒毛病变的严重程度与肠道微生物群组成的改变密切相关。微生物群分析显示,高剂量组中乳酸杆菌的丰度显著降低,而包括志贺氏菌和大肠杆菌在内的潜在病原菌的丰度增加,导致肠道生态失调。最后,代谢组学分析表明,艾美耳球虫感染扰乱了能量和氨基酸代谢,尤其影响糖酵解、三羧酸循环和丙酮酸代谢。总体而言,本研究建立了一种可靠的组织病理学评分方法,并证实艾美耳球虫感染通过组织损伤导致肠道生态失调和代谢异常。这些数据为鸡球虫病的诊断和治疗提供了新的见解。