Reduced bone formation and increased bone resorption drive bone loss in Eimeria infected broilers

Abstract

Coccidiosis is an economically significant disease in the global poultry industry, but little is known about the mechanisms of bone defects caused by coccidiosis; thus, the study focused on effects of coccidiosis on the bone homeostasis of young broiler chickens. A total of 480 male Cobb500 broilers were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, including an uninfected control consuming diet ad libitum, two infected groups were orally gavaged with two different concentrations of sporulated Eimeria oocysts, and an uninfected pair-fed group fed the same amount of feed as the high Eimeria-infected group consumed. Growth performance and feed intake were recorded, and samples were collected on 6 days post infection. Results indicated that coccidiosis increased systemic oxidative status and elevated immune response in bone marrow, suppressing bone growth rate (P < 0.05) and increasing bone resorption (P < 0.05) which led to lower bone mineral density (P < 0.05) and mineral content (P < 0.05) under Eimeria infection. With the same amount of feed intake, the uninfected pair-fed group showed a distinguished bone formation rate and bone resorption level compared with the Eimeria infected groups. In conclusion, inflammatory immune response and oxidative stress in broilers after Eimeria infection were closely associated with altered bone homeostasis, highlighting the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in broiler bone homeostasis during coccidiosis.

Akkermansia muciniphila Promotes Bone Development and Improves Eggshell Quality during the Sexual Maturity Period of Laying Hens by Increasing Osteogenesis

“…An imbalance in gut microbiota has been associated with bacterial translocation and chronic inflammation [21,48]. The inflammation often leads to an increased immune response and bone resorption in the bone marrow, consequently reducing bone formation, as observed in Eimeria-challenged or lipopolysaccharide-challenged broilers [49,50]. Significant bone loss has been noted in various models of intestinal inflammation, including dextran sulfate sodium-induced chemical injury, adoptive T cell transfer of colitis, and Salmonella enterica infection [51].…”

Effects of Methionine Supplementation Levels in Normal or Reduced Protein Diets on the Body Composition and Femur Bone Characteristics of Broilers Challenged with Coccidia

“…While the trabecular bone quality was not affected by the treatments in the NCP groups, it was improved in the LCP groups as Met levels increased. As previously mentioned, trabecular bone is more responsive to immune responses [ 47 , 48 , 49 ], and one previous study showed that the bone mineral loss during coccidiosis occurred more in the trabecular bone [ 7 ], so it is plausible to hypnotize that instead of being accumulated as Hcy, the extra Met supplementation exerted its functional roles, such as antioxidant capacity, immunomodulatory effects, and collagen synthesis [ 15 , 50 ], especially in the LCP groups where the supply of other essential and non-essential amino acids was also reduced. Consequently, trabecular bone quality may have improved, as evidenced by the increased trabecular number and connectivity density.…”

“…Numerous studies have highlighted its detrimental effects on nutrient utilization, intestinal integrity, and the growth performance of birds [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. On the other hand, previous research has also documented a range of adverse outcomes on bone health by coccidia infection, including reduced bone mineralization leading to greater porosity in cortical bone, diminished bone mineral density, weakened bone strength, and increased trabecular bone resorption [ 6 , 7 ]. These findings underscore the systemic impact of coccidiosis, extending beyond the gastrointestinal tract to affect skeletal development and integrity.…”

The effects of myostatin mutation on the tibia bone quality in female Japanese quail before and after sexual maturation

“…Th ), volume of total pores ( Po. V (tot) ), and total porosity percentage ( Po (tot) ) were analyzed and quantified ( Lee et al, 2023 ), as these bone traits are known to be correlated with the bone quality and bone growth status in poultry species ( Lee et al, 2023 ; Tompkins et al, 2023 ). Additionally, bone size, including whole bone length, diaphyseal width, and cortical bone thickness, were measured using the CTAn ruler tool.…”