Effect of aflatoxin experimental ingestion and Eimeira vaccine challenges on intestinal histopathology and immune cellular dynamic of broilers: applying an Intestinal Health Index

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of aflatoxin B1 and Eimeria vaccine challenges and their interaction on intestinal morphology, applying the morphometric index "I See Inside" (ISI). Immune cellular response and broiler chicken performance were also studied. A total of 240 broiler chickens were divided in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 4 treatments, T1: Control diet and no challenge (CON), T2: Aflatoxin B1 (AFLA), T3: Control diet and Eimeria challenge (COC), and T4: Aflatoxin B1 and Eimeria challenge (AFLA+COC). The mathematical morphometric index ISI was applied to evaluate macro and microscopic alterations. Samples of liver and jejunum were analyzed for macrophages, CD4+, and CD8+ cells counting by immunohistochemistry at 7, 14, and 21 d of age. Chickens challenged with Eimeria presented higher ISI of macroscopic alterations associated to Eimeria lesion at the medium small intestine, lower body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), and worse feed conversion ratio compared to non-challenged birds. Both Eimeria and aflatoxin challenges modulated the immune cells in the jejunum and liver, generally increasing the number of macrophages, CD4+, and CD8+ cells in relation to the control group. Birds from COC and COC+AFLA groups presented higher ISI histological score in the jejunum at 7 and 14 d of age compared to the CON and AFLA groups. The reduction of FI and BWG was correlated to high histological ISI and resulted in a high presence of immune cells in tissues, suggesting immune response demand. The histological ISI had statistical correlation to broiler performance.

Toxicity of aflatoxin B1 on laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

“…The possible mechanism of the counteraction of AF by minerals from clays (present in NMB) was binding of AF in GIT leading to excretion of AF without affecting the immune system. Improvement of antibody titres against ND and AI diseases on clayproduct supplementation was earlier reported by Rosa et al (2001), Tran et al (2005), and Kraieski et al (2017).…”

“…Enzymes, viz. carboxylesterase, present in the microsomal fraction of the liver, esterase, and epoxidase are being tried for their practical applicability in the field conditions, which are being included in the studied toxin binder of the current trial (Kraieski et al 2017).…”

Protected Blend of Organic Acids and Essential Oils Improves Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Intestinal Health of Broiler Chickens Undergoing an Intestinal Challenge

“…Macroscopic (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and histological (ileum) intestinal alterations were evaluated using the I See Inside methodology (ISI) according to Kraieski et al (18) and Belote et al (19) at 21 days post-hatch. In the ISI methodology, an impact factor (IF) is defined for each alteration in macroscopic and histologic analysis according to the reduction of organ's functional capacity, based on previous knowledge of literature and background research (18,19,22). The IF ranges from 1 to 3, in which 3 is the most impactful alteration for the organ's function (e.g., necrosis, has the highest IF because the functional capacity of affected cells is totally lost).…”

Effect of Feeding Bacillus subtilis Spores to Broilers Challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg Brazilian Strain UFPR1 on Performance, Immune Response, and Gut Health

“…At 7 and 21 days of age, 12 birds per treatment (3 birds per replicate) were euthanized, liver and ileum samples collected and further subjected to microscopic evaluation using the ISI Methodology (“I See Inside”; Pat. INPI-BR1020150036019) ( 23 ) as published by Kraieski et al ( 24 ). Shortly, this methodology was developed based on a numeric score of histological alterations.…”