Study on the effects of toosendanin against Eimeria tenella and its impact on the apoptosis of cecal cells in chicks

Li'nan Yang; Yanyang Yuan; Lei Xiong; Qingyu Zhao; Ming Yang; Xun Suo; Zhihui Hao

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110194

Study on the effects of toosendanin against Eimeria tenella and its impact on the apoptosis of cecal cells in chicks

Vet Parasitol. 2024 May 3:329:110194. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110194. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Li'nan Yang¹, Yanyang Yuan², Lei Xiong¹, Qingyu Zhao², Ming Yang³, Xun Suo¹, Zhihui Hao²

Affiliations

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China.
² College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; Key Biology Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100094, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Medicinal Function of Food, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing 100193, China; Qingdao Animal Husbandry Workstation, Oingdao, Shandong 266100, China.
³ Key Biology Laboratory of Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100094, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Medicinal Function of Food, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing 100193, China; Qingdao Animal Husbandry Workstation, Oingdao, Shandong 266100, China.

PMID: 38749123
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110194

Abstract

To investigate the therapeutic effect of toosendanin (TSN) against Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) in chicks. In this experiment, a chick model of artificially induced E. tenella infection was established. The anti-coccidial effect was investigated by treating different doses of TSN. A preliminary mechanism of action was conducted, using cecal cell apoptosis as a starting point. TSN at the concentration of 5 mg/kg BW showed the best effect against E. tenella with the ACI value of 164.35. In addition, TSN reduced pathological damage to cecal tissue, increased the secretion of glycogen and mucus in cecal mucosa, and enhanced the mucosal protective effect. It also elevated the levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, and IgG in serum, and raised the sIgA content in cecal tissue of infected chicks, thereby improving overall immune function. TSN was observed to promote the apoptosis of cecum tissue cells by TUNEL staining analysis. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that in TSN-treated groups, the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax was elevated, while the expression of Bcl-2 was reduced. TSN induced apoptosis in host cells by dose-dependently decreasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and upregulating Caspase-3 expression. In summary, TSN exhibited significant anticoccidial efficacy by facilitating apoptosis in host cecal cells, with the most pronounced effect observed at a dosage of 5 mg/kg body weight.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Chicken coccidiosis; Eimeria tenella; Toosendanin.