Abstract
Two experiments were performed to investigate the effect of different ratios of arginine (Arg) to lysine (Lys) in diets with low (30% Lys; Experiment 1) and high (45% Lys; Experiment 2) methionine (Met) levels on selected metabolic parameters, oxidative and epigenetic DNA damage, and the mechanisms underlying intestinal barrier integrity in turkeys challenged with Clostridium perfringens. In each experiment, 108 one-day-old Hybrid Converter female turkeys were placed in 6 pens (18 birds per pen) and reared for 42 days. At 34, 36 and 37 days of age, half of the birds were subjected to C. perfringens challenge. A 3 × 2 factorial design with three levels of Arg relative to Lys (90, 100 and 110%; Arg90, Arg100 and Arg110, respectively) and C. perfringens infection (−, +) was employed. Challenging birds with C. perfringens increased lipid oxidation and the oxidation and methylation of DNA of intestinal mucosa, and down-regulated the activities of DNA-repairing enzymes. Neither the dietary treatment nor the challenge affected the markers of liver function or metabolism. Arg110 diets with the high Met level induced DNA oxidation and methylation whereas these processes were downregulated in birds fed Arg90 diets. The results indicate that Arg90 diets with high Met levels have a beneficial influence on the indicators of intestinal barrier integrity in turkeys with necrotic enteritis (NE). Despite the analyzed amino acid ratios interacted with the systems responsible for the maintenance of gut integrity in the host organism, this dietary intervention probably enabled birds to cope with NE.
Highlights
In turkeys, necrotic enteritis (NE) is caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) anaerobic bacteria and their toxins, and it causes considerable economic losses in poultry farming [1]
Zhang et al [3] demonstrated that higher levels of l-arginine in the diet improved intestinal barrier integrity and modulated gut microflora in chickens challenged with C. perfringens, producing a consortium that was like to that of healthy controls with higher counts of beneficial bacteria and reduced counts of harmful species
The expression of occludin, Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP2), OGG1 and Trefoil Factor 2 (TFF2) genes increased in the wall of the ileum (P < 0.001) in response to C. perfringens infection (Table 3)
Summary
Necrotic enteritis (NE) is caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) anaerobic bacteria and their toxins, and it causes considerable economic losses in poultry farming [1]. The supplementation of poultry diets with the appropriate amounts of amino acids, such as arginine (Arg) and methionine (Met), can promote intestinal barrier integrity in many infectious diseases [13,14,15,16] because these amino acids stimulate immune and antioxidant systems [17,18,19,20,21]. The cited research is inconclusive and merits further investigation on whether dietary supplementation with the appropriate proportions of Arg and Met can limit the symptoms of oxidative stress, minimize epigenetic alterations that cause DNA damage in turkeys infected with C. perfringens and, improve intestinal barrier integrity
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