Early-life β-glucan exposure enhances disease resilience of broiler chickens to a natural Clostridium perfringens infection. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Wanwei; Kamely, Mohammad; Wakaruk, Jeremy; Goes, Emanuele C.; Korver, Douglas R.; Barreda, Daniel R.
• Is Part Of: Developmental and comparative immunology. Volume 140(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Innate immunity -- Clostridium perfringens -- Natural avian infection -- Necrotic enteritis; Immunology -- Periodicals; Developmental immunology -- Periodicals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2022.104613
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-305X

Abstract

Abstract: Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an economically important disease in poultry. Colonization by the opportunistic pathogen C. perfringens occurs early after hatch and induces host immune tolerance, which allows it to persist as part of the bird's commensal microflora. β-glucan, a yeast cell wall component, is well characterized for its immunomodulatory capacity, and is a strong driver of innate immune memory. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of β-glucan to reduce severity of NE, when co-administered with heat-killed C. perfringens via intra-abdominal route at day 1 of age. We found that this early-life exposure in the presence of β-glucan did not reduce intestinal C. perfringens loads or lesion severity during a subsequent NE outbreak. However, it improved ileal morphology, prevented liver and spleen weight decline, and preserved feed efficiency in challenged birds. Molecular analyses revealed metabolic changes consistent with innate immune memory. Together, our results suggest that β-glucan can reduce the negative impacts of NE by influencing the context in which C. perfringens is first encountered. Highlights: A disease model promoted natural uptake of C. perfringens from the barn environment. Early-life priming did not reduce C. perfringens loads or severity of subsequent NE outbreak. But it enhanced ileal morphology, prevented organ weight decline, and preserved feed efficiency. The context in which C. perfringens is first encountered by hosts reduce the negative impacts of NE.