Serum metabolomics reveal pathways associated with protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on immune stress

Shicheng Bi; Jianjian Shao; Yiwen Qu; Wei Xu; Jun Li; Li Zhang; Wanyu Shi; Liting Cao

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2022.102187

Serum metabolomics reveal pathways associated with protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on immune stress

Poult Sci. 2022 Dec;101(12):102187. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102187. Epub 2022 Sep 16.

Authors

Shicheng Bi¹, Jianjian Shao², Yiwen Qu², Wei Xu³, Jun Li², Li Zhang⁴, Wanyu Shi⁵, Liting Cao²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Rongchang, Chongqing, 402460, P. R. China. Electronic address: shichengbi@swu.edu.cn.
² Department of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Southwest University, Rongchang, Chongqing, 402460, P. R. China.
³ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Center for Veterinary Sciences, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ Immunology Research Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Rongchang, Chongqing 402460, P. R. China.
⁵ College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001, P. R. China.

Abstract

Our previous study has demonstrated that administration of ginsenoside Rg3 ameliorates immune stress by inhibiting inflammatory responses, reducing oxidative damage and upregulating mRNA expression of mTOR, SOD-1, and HO-1. However, the specific mechanism in relation to the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on stressed broilers especially the metabolites alteration remains obscure. The present study aimed to investigate the underlined mechanism in relation to the pathogenesis and protective effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on stressed broilers using liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry profiling. Eighteen broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 3 treatments: Control, Model and Rg3. Chickens in Rg3 group received intraperitoneally administered 1 mg/kg Rg3 2 h before LPS challenge. Then the broilers were intraperitoneally injection of 250 µg/kg LPS at the age of 12, 14, 33, and 35 d to induce immune stress. Control group was injected with an equivalent amount of sterile saline. At the end of the experiment, the serum was obtained for metabolomics analysis. The changes in serum metabolic profiles were investigated with the application of metabolomics approach. Distinct changes in metabolite patterns in serum were observed by orthogonal partial least square-discriminate analysis. In total, 35 metabolites were identified, among which 17 differential metabolites were found between Control and Model group, and 18 differential metabolites were identified between Model and Rg3 group. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed potential serum metabolites involved in oxidative stress and inflammation, degradation of lipid and protein in broiler chicks with immune stress. In addition, the protective effect of Rg3 on the stressed chicks may be largely mediated by BCAA metabolism, apoptosis and mTOR signaling pathway. These results suggested the potential biomarkers involved in pathogenesis and prevention of stress induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide.

Keywords: ginsenoside; lipopolysaccharide; metabolomics; stress.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial, Veterinary

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens*
Lipopolysaccharides*
Metabolomics
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Substances

ginsenoside Rg3
Lipopolysaccharides
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases