Experimental induction and oral transmission of avian AA amyloidosis in vaccinated white hens

Abstract

Avian AA amyloidosis is commonly observed in adult birds afflicted with bacterial infections or chronic inflammatory disorders. Experimental AA amyloidosis in birds can be induced by repeated inflammatory stimulation, such as injection with casein or vaccination with oil-emulsified bacterins. However, the transmission of amyloidosis among avian species has not been studied well to date. In the present study, we confirm the potential induction of avian AA amyloidosis by inoculation of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) vaccine or Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine. To determine the transmission of chicken AA amyloidosis among white hens, we induced experimental AA amyloidosis in vaccinated chickens by intravenous or oral administration of chicken AA fibrils. Amyloid deposits were observed in chickens injected with SE and inoculated with chicken AA fibrils intravenously (21/26: 81%) and orally (8/12: 67%). These results suggest that chicken AA amyloidosis can be induced by vaccinations, and may be transmitted among like species by oral administration.

Transmission of Systemic AA Amyloidosis in Animals

“…46 Furthermore, the high frequency with which hemorrhagic enteritis is observed in amyloidosis-affected chickens suggests that the associated mucosal damage might enhance shedding of amyloid in the feces. As avian and cheetah AA amyloidosis can be transmitted orally, 47,82 it is possible that the horizontal transfer of amyloidosis by ingestion of amyloidcontaminated feed or feces also occurs among avian species.…”

“…47 Chickens were administered a single intramuscular dose of inactivated Salmonella enteritidis vaccine before being inoculated with chicken amyloid extracts either intravenously or orally. Interestingly, while chicken AA amyloidosis was induced in the intravenous inoculation group as well as the oral inoculation group, the patterns of organ involvement differed between both groups.…”

Prion and prion-like diseases in animals

“…Thereby, the most likely route of transmission of avian AA-amyloidosis during epidemic outbreaks in fowl populations is the ingestion of amyloidcontaminated feed or feces (Sato et al, 2003;Tanaka et al, 2008). This assumption was extended to chickens where severe amyloid deposits were detected in the gut of amyloidosis-infected animals; suggesting a possible oral entry of the AA-fibrils (Murakami et al, 2013c). Moreover, the coexistence of hemorrhagic enteritis in AA-amyloid affected chickens was proposed as a possible via of amyloid shedding in feces (Murakami et al, 2013b).…”

“…Long-term inflammatory stimulation can also induced AA-amyloidosis development, as experimentally demonstrated in chickens, ducks or cattle (Janigan, 1966;McAdam and Sipe, 1976;Ram et al, 1968;Skinner et al, 1977). More recently, a series of elegant studies have indicated the possible prion-like transmissibility of some AA-amyloidosis in mice, minks, cheetahs, chickens, and rabbits (Murakami et al, 2013c;Sorby et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2008). This aspect is extensively aborded in Section 4.…”

“…Other factors such as the route of inoculation or the dose of amyloid fibrils injected have been also considered as modulators of the transmission efficiency and extent of amyloid deposits (Murakami et al, 2013b). In this way, amyloid deposits were differently distributed when avian AA-amyloid fibrils were orally or intravenously inoculated in chickens (Murakami et al, 2013c).…”