Structural Changes in Trabecular Bone, Cortical Bone and Hyaline Cartilage as Well as Disturbances in Bone Metabolism and Mineralization in an Animal Model of Secondary Osteoporosis in Clostridium perfringens Infection

Abstract

There is no information regarding whether changes in the microbiological balance of the gastrointestinal tract as a result of an infection with Clostridium perfringens influence the development of metabolic bone disorders. The experiment was carried out on male broiler chickens divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and experimental (n = 10). The experimental animals were infected with Clostridium perfringens between 17 and 20 days of age. The animals were euthanized at 42 days of age. The structural parameters of the trabecular bone, cortical bone, and hyaline cartilage as well as the mineralization of the bone were determined. The metabolism of the skeletal system was assessed by determining the levels of bone turnover markers, hormones, and minerals in the blood serum. The results confirm that the disturbed composition of the gastrointestinal microflora has an impact on the mineralization and metabolism of bone tissue, leading to the structural changes in cortical bone, trabecular bone, and hyaline cartilage. On the basis of the obtained results, it can be concluded that changes in the microenvironment of the gastrointestinal tract by infection with C. perfringens may have an impact on the earlier development of osteoporosis.

Graded levels of Eimeria challenge altered the microstructural architecture and reduced the cortical bone growth of femur of Hy-Line W-36 pullets at early stage of growth (0–6 wk of age)

“…The higher cortical porosity in control birds indicated the higher activity of osteoblasts laying down more type I collagen which is supposed to be mineralized later ( Whitehead 2004 ). Tomczyk-Warunek et al (2021) observed a similar result where the nonchallenged control birds have a higher level of mature collagen fibers deposited in cortical bone compared to that of birds challenged with C. perfringens . In the current study, Eimeria challenge reduced BV and BS in cortical bones, indicating that smaller cortical bones compared to the nonchallenged control; these considerably affected other porosity parameters including NCP, VOP, TVP, and PP.…”

“…They observed a decrease in trabecular BV/TV, BSA, BMD, Tb.N., and Conn.D and described it as a result of a high turnover rate of trabecular bone resorption rather than trabecular bone formation due to hyperactivity of osteoclast cells and our results with the TRAP staining coincide with this mechanism. In contrast, Tomczyk-Warunek et al (2021) observed an opposite effect on the trabecular histomorphometry when broilers were challenged with C. perfringens ; they observed an increase in BV/TV, Tb.N., and Tb.Th. The increase in Tb.N.…”

“…In addition, the downregulation of Ca and P transporter genes in the current study suggests the poor absorption and utilization of minerals necessary for bone mineralization negatively affect growth ( Oikeh et al, 2019a ; Sakkas et al, 2019 ). Previously, a lower level of serum calcium was observed in broilers challenged with Clostridium perfringens than in control ( Tomczyk-Warunek et al, 2021 ). In addition, the present study showed that the NCP, VOP, TVP, and PP of cortical bone were lower in challenged birds than in control birds ( Table 5 ), suggesting greater bone remodeling allowing for continuous bone growth and renewal.…”

“…Other than the nutritional deficiency and malabsorption of nutrients during the Eimeria infection, oxidative stress and inflammatory response from the infection play a vital role in bone remodeling and homeostasis ( Wauquier et al, 2009 ; Bozec and Zaiss, 2017 ; Domazetovic et al, 2017 ; Tian et al, 2017 ; Tomczyk-Warunek et al, 2021 ; Tompkins et al, 2022 , 2023a ). During a host-pathogen interaction, the increased level of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) from innate immune cells (macrophages, neutrophils, or heterophils) disrupts the intracellular reduction-oxidation (redox) balance leading to oxidative stress ( Abbas et al, 2013 ; Mishra and Jha, 2019 ).…”

Recent trends in bone tissue engineering: a review of materials, methods, and structures

“…Hence, scientists have been motivated to create hierarchical structures with multimodal porosities in one single solid body by developing new synthesis approaches [183]. Hence, it is important to consider factors such as pore type and others while designing scaffolds or implants is critical for tissue such as bone, where the structure changes significantly from the cancellous part to the cortical region [184].…”