Choi Janghan, Lee Jihwan, Kim Woo Kyun
Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, 120 D.W. Brooks Drive, 408 Poultry Science Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jun 26;104(10):105481. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105481.
The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of Eimeria infection on expression of genes and proteins related to feed intake and core body temperature in broilers. A total of 750 fifteen-day-old male broilers were distributed to five experimental groups in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 replicates of 25 birds per pen. The five experimental groups included (1) unchallenged control (UNC); (2) Eimeria challenge 1 (EC1): challenged with 31,250 E. acervulina, 6,250 E. maxima, 6,250 E. tenella; (3) Eimeria challenge 2 (EC2): 2 × EC1; 4) Eimeria challenge 3 (EC3): 2 × EC2; and 5) Eimeria challenge 4 (EC4): 2 × EC3. Feed intake was linearly decreased by increased doses of Eimeria spp. in broilers at 6 days post inoculation (dpi) (P < 0.05). Core body temperature was linearly reduced by higher doses of Eimeria spp. in broilers (P < 0.05). Relative mRNA expression of agouti-related protein (AGRP) (P < 0.05), interleukin 18 (IL18) (P < 0.05), motilin receptor (MR) (P < 0.01), and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) (P < 0.01) was linearly decreased by higher doses of Eimeria spp. in the brain. Relative mRNA expression of cholecystokinin (CCK), motilin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), neuropeptide Y receptor Y1 (NPYY1) was linearly decreased by higher doses of Eimeria spp. in the duodenum (P < 0.05). Higher doses of Eimeria spp. significantly increased relative mRNA expression of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP), hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the duodenum. Higher doses of Eimeria spp. linearly and quadratically decreased relative mRNA expression of CCK (P < 0.01), and relative mRNA expression of motilin and NPYY2 was linearly decreased by higher doses of Eimeria spp. in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Higher doses of Eimeria spp. linearly increased protein concentration of CCK in the serum (P < 0.05). Hence, Eimeria infection modulated expression of genes and proteins related to feed intake and core body temperature in broilers.
本研究的目的是调查艾美耳球虫感染对肉鸡采食量和核心体温相关基因和蛋白质表达的影响。总共750只15日龄雄性肉鸡被完全随机设计（CRD）分配到五个实验组，每栏25只鸡，共6个重复。五个实验组包括：（1）未受感染对照组（UNC）；（2）艾美耳球虫感染1组（EC1）：用31,250个堆型艾美耳球虫、6,250个巨型艾美耳球虫、6,250个柔嫩艾美耳球虫进行感染；（3）艾美耳球虫感染2组（EC2）：2倍剂量的EC1；（4）艾美耳球虫感染3组（EC3）：2倍剂量的EC2；（5）艾美耳球虫感染4组（EC4）：2倍剂量的EC3。接种后6天（dpi），随着艾美耳球虫剂量增加，肉鸡采食量呈线性下降（P<0.05）。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫使肉鸡核心体温呈线性降低（P<0.05）。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫使脑中刺鼠相关蛋白（AGRP）（P<0.05）、白细胞介素18（IL18）（P<0.05）、胃动素受体（MR）（P<0.01）和阿黑皮素原（POMC）（P<0.01）的相对mRNA表达呈线性下降。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫使十二指肠中胆囊收缩素（CCK）、胃动素、神经肽Y（NPY）、神经肽Y受体Y1（NPYY1）的相对mRNA表达呈线性下降（P<0.05）。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫显著增加十二指肠中冷诱导RNA结合蛋白（CIRBP）、缺氧诱导因子1α亚基（HIF1A）和热休克蛋白70（HSP70）的相对mRNA表达。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫使空肠中CCK的相对mRNA表达呈线性和二次方下降（P<0.01），胃动素和NPYY2的相对mRNA表达呈线性下降（P<0.05）。较高剂量的艾美耳球虫使血清中CCK的蛋白浓度呈线性增加（P<0.05）。因此，艾美耳球虫感染调节了肉鸡采食量和核心体温相关基因和蛋白质的表达。
