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Physiological Stress Mediated by Corticosterone Administration Alters Intestinal Bacterial Communities and Increases the Relative Abundance of Clostridium perfringens in the Small Intestine of Chickens.

ABSTRACT: A model of physiological stress mediated by the administration of corticosterone (CORT) was used to investigate the impact of stress on the intestinal microbiota of chickens. Birds were administered CORT in their drinking water at 0, 10 (low dose CORT; LDC), and 30 (high dose CORT; HDC) mg/L. Digesta from the small intestine and ceca were examined after 1, 5, and 12 days post-initiation of CORT administration by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A decrease in phylogenetic diversity and altered composition of bacteria were observed for HDC in the small intestine. Analysis by ANOVA-Like Differential Expression 2 (ALDEx2) showed that densities of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 bacteria were increased in the small intestine for LDC and HDC. Quantitative PCR confirmed that CORT administration increased densities of Clostridium perfringens in the small intestine, but only HDC was associated with increased densities of the bacterium in ceca. Predictive functional analysis by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States 2 (PICRUSt2) showed pathways of carbohydrate metabolism to be enriched with CORT, and amino acid synthesis to be enriched in control birds in the small intestine. In conclusion, physiological stress mediated by CORT modulated bacterial communities in the small intestine and increased densities of C. perfringens. This implicates stress as an important mediator of this important enteric pathogen in poultry.

SUBMITTER: Zaytsoff SJM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7650536 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Physiological Stress Mediated by Corticosterone Administration Alters Intestinal Bacterial Communities and Increases the Relative Abundance of <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> in the Small Intestine of Chickens.

Zaytsoff Sarah J M SJM Uwiera Richard R E RRE Inglis G Douglas GD

Microorganisms 20201001 10

A model of physiological stress mediated by the administration of corticosterone (CORT) was used to investigate the impact of stress on the intestinal microbiota of chickens. Birds were administered CORT in their drinking water at 0, 10 (low dose CORT; LDC), and 30 (high dose CORT; HDC) mg/L. Digesta from the small intestine and ceca were examined after 1, 5, and 12 days post-initiation of CORT administration by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A decrease in phylogenetic diversity and altered compositi ...[more]

PMID: 33019786

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Project description:Necrotic enteritis toxin B (NetB)-producing Clostridium perfringens (CP) type A is the etiological agent of necrotic enteritis (NE) - an economically significant disease in broiler chickens. Understanding the immune response to CP infection in broiler chickens is becoming important to develop effective vaccines against NE. An experiment was conducted to determine the expression levels of selected cytokine genes in the intestine and cecal tonsil of CP-challenged broiler chickens. In a floor-pen housing, broiler chickens were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups: 1) bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD)-free control diet with no CP challenge (CX), 2) BMD-supplemented diet with no CP challenge (CM), 3) BMD-free control diet with CP challenge (PCX), or 4) BMD-supplemented diet with CP challenge (PCM). The establishment of CP infection was confirmed, with the treatment groups exposed to CP having a 1.5 to 2-fold higher CP levels (P < 0.05) compared to the non-exposed groups. On day 1 and 7 post-challenge, jejunal segments and cecal tonsils were collected from experimental chickens for quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis to determine the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL-2, IL-13, IL-17, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β genes. Levels of antibodies to CP recombinant proteins were also determined in the plasma of experimental chickens. Results indicated that on day 7 post-challenge, IL-1β (proinflammatory cytokine), IL-13 (Th2 cytokine), and IL-17 (Th17 cytokine) were upregulated (P < 0.05) in CP-challenged PCX and PCM treatments, compared to the unchallenged (control) CX and CM treatments. A reverse trend was observed for TGF-β (anti-inflammatory cytokine), while no change was observed in IFN-γ (Th1 cytokine). Levels of plasma antibodies (IgY) to CP recombinant proteins were higher in CP-challenged treatments (PCX and PCM; P < 0.05), compared to their corresponding controls (CX and CM). It was concluded that CP infection induced inflammatory response in the intestine of broiler chickens, and the mechanisms of inflammation are probably mediated via Th2 and Th17 cells.

Project description:Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis (NE) is an economically important disease of broiler chickens. The present study evaluated the effect of C. perfringens on the intestinal histomorphometry, enteric microbial colonization, and host immune responses using 3 experimental NE reproduction methods. The experimental groups consisted of 1) unchallenged Control diet (corn-soybean meal), 2) Control diet + Eimera inoculation at d 11 followed by C. perfringens challenge at d 15 (ECp), 3) Wheat-based diet + C. perfringens challenge (WCp), and 4) Wheat-based diet + Eimeria inoculation followed by C. perfringens challenge (WECp). The results showed that chickens receiving ECp and WECp had reduced (P < 0.05) bird performance coupled with enteric gross lesions and epithelial damage at d 17 and 24 of age compared to unchallenged control birds. These ECp and WECp administered birds also had increased (P < 0.05) ileal colonization by clostridia and E. coli at d 17 and 24, while the resident Lactobacillus counts were reduced (P < 0.05) at d 24 of age. Furthermore, at d 24, jejunal transcription of IL-6, IL-10, annexin-A1 and IL-2 genes was upregulated (P < 0.05) in the ECp group, whereas the transcription of TNF receptor associated factor (TRAF)-3 gene was increased (P < 0.05) in WECp treated birds when compared to unchallenged control group. Additionally, stimulation of chicken splenocytes and cecal tonsilocytes with virulent C. perfringens bacilli or their secretory proteins resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) frequency of T cells and their upregulation of MHC-II molecule, as determined by flow cytometry. These findings suggest that C. perfringens, while inducing epithelial damage and changes in microbiota, can also trigger host immune responses. Furthermore, NE reproduction methods using coccidia with or without the wheat-based dietary predisposition seem to facilitate an optimal NE reproduction in broiler chickens and thus, may provide better avenues for future C. perfringens research.

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Dataset Information

Physiological Stress Mediated by Corticosterone Administration Alters Intestinal Bacterial Communities and Increases the Relative Abundance of Clostridium perfringens in the Small Intestine of Chickens.

Publications

Physiological Stress Mediated by Corticosterone Administration Alters Intestinal Bacterial Communities and Increases the Relative Abundance of <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> in the Small Intestine of Chickens.

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