| 1 | Effects of Bacillus coagulans supplementation on the growth performance and gut health of broiler chickens with Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis显示文摘Background: The poultry industry is in need of effective antibiotic alternatives to control outbreaks of necrotic enteritis(NE) due to Clostridium perfringens.Methods: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding Bacil us coagulans on the growth performance and gut health of broiler chickens with C. perfringens-induced NE. Two hundred and forty 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two dietary B. coagulans levels(0 or 4 × 109 CFU/kg of diet) and two disease chal enge statuses(control or NE chal enged).Results: NE-induced reduction in body weight gain was relieved by the addition of B. coagulans into broiler diets compared with the NE-infected birds. NE infection damaged intestinal morphological structure, promoted intestinal C.perfringens growth and liver invasion, and enhanced anti-C. perfringens specific sI gA concentrations in the gut and specific IgG levels in serum compared with the uninfected birds. NE infection significantly(P < 0.05) decreased mucin-2(at 14 d post-infection(DPI), tol-like receptor 2(TLR2, at 7 and 14 DPI), TLR4(at 7 and 14 DPI), tumor necrosis factor super family15(TNFSF15, at 7 and 14 DPI), lysozyme(LYZ, at 14 DPI) and fowlicidin-2(at 7 and 14 DPI) mR NA levels, whereas it dramatical y(P = 0.001) increased IFN-γ mR NA levels at 7 DPI. However, chal enged birds fed diets supplemented with B.coagulans showed a significant(P < 0.01) decrease in gut lesion scores, decreased C. perfringens numbers in the cecum and liver, and an increase in fowlicidin-2 mR NA levels in compared with the uninfected birds. In addition, compared with the non-supplemented group, dietary inclusion of B. coagulans improved intestinal barrier structure, further increased specific sI gA levels and alkaline phosphatase(IAP) activity in the jejunum, enhanced the expression of jejunum lysozyme mR NA, and inhibited the growth, colonization, and invasion of C. perfringens; in contrast, it reduced serum-specific IgG concentrations and jejunum IFN-γ mR NA levels.Conclusion: These results indicated that dietary B. coagulans supplementation appeared to be effective in preventing the occurrence and reducing the severity of C. perfringens-induced NE in broiler chickens. | Yuanyuan Wu Yujing Shao Bochen Song Wenrui Zhen Zhong Wang Yuming Guo Muhammad Suhaib Shahid Wei Nie | 2018 | Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology2018,9,2: | 31 |
| 2 | Effects of age on immune function in broiler chickens显示文摘Background:There are many diseases in poultry,many of which are caused by poor immune function.It is not clear how cytokines and various immune cell functions change with age in modern broilers.The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of development of the immunity of the broiler chickens in cage.Results:The results showed that there were 3 development patterns of immunity in the broiler chickens.The first pattern was Down-Up.Cytokines and some immune indicators first decreased and then increased,and the lowest levels of immunity basically occurred from d 6 to 13.The second pattern was Up-Down,and from d 30 to 34,the highest levels of non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood mononuclear macrophage ratio,specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood helper T(Th)cell ratio and T cell and B cell proliferation activity,and mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal CD4,TGF-β1 and IgA mRNA levels,were observed.The third pattern was Up-Up,and the levels of the non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the serum nitric oxide(NO),C3 and C4 levels,the specific cellular immunity components,such as the spleen index,peripheral blood IL-2,IFN-γ/IL-4,cytotoxic T(Tc)cell ratio,and splenic NF-κB mRNA levels,the humoral immunity components,such as the serum IgG level,the mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal MHC-II,CD3d,TCRβsubunit,TCRζsubunit,IFN-γ,pIgR mRNA and ileal mucosa sIgA levels,were continuing to increase from d 1 to 34.Conclusions:It could be concluded that the immune system and its function have not developed well in the broiler chickens d 6 to 13 and that the immune system does not mature until d 30 to 34 in the broiler chickens in cages.It is necessary to enhance the immune function of the broiler chickens through nutritional measures from d 1 to 30. | Bochen Song Dazhi Tang Shaojia Yan Hao Fan Guang Li Muhammad Suhaib Shahid Tahir Mahmood Yuming Guo | 2021 | Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology2021,12,4: | 3 |