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Published on: June 5, 2012
Schizandrin attenuates inflammation induced by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in chicken type II pneumocytes
Meng Yuan1, Lu-Yuan Peng1, Shuai-Cheng Wu2
1College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, No. 5333 Xi'an Road, Changchun, Jilin 130062, China.
Abstract:
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a kind of highly pathogenic parenteral bacteria, which adheres to chicken type II pneumocytes through pili, causing inflammatory damage of chicken type II pneumocytes. Without affecting the growth of bacteria, anti-adhesion to achieve anti-inflammatory effect is considered to be a new method for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections. In this study, the anti-APEC activity of schizandrin was studied in vitro. By establishing the model of chicken type II pneumocytes infected with APEC-O78, the adhesion number, the expression of virulence genes, the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways were detected. The results showed that schizandrin reduced the release of LDH and the adherence of APEC on chicken type II pneumocytes. Moreover, schizandrin markedly decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α, the mechanism responsible for these effects was attributed to the inhibitory effect of schizandrin on NF-κB and MAPK signaling activation. In conclusion, our findings revealed that schizandrin could reduce the inflammatory injury of chicken type II pneumocytes by reducing the adhesion of APEC-O78 to chicken type II pneumocytes. The results indicate that schizandrin can be a potential agent to treat inflammation caused by avian colibacillosis.
Insights
Schizandrin reduces avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) adhesion to chicken lung cells, mitigating inflammation. This natural compound offers a potential treatment for avian colibacillosis by inhibiting key inflammatory pathways.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes significant inflammatory damage in poultry, particularly to lung cells.
- Developing anti-adhesion strategies is crucial for combating multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections.
- Schizandrin is investigated as a potential therapeutic agent against APEC-induced inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro anti-APEC activity of schizandrin.
- To determine schizandrin's effect on APEC adhesion and inflammatory responses in chicken lung cells.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying schizandrin's anti-inflammatory effects.
Main Methods:
- Established an in vitro model of chicken type II pneumocytes infected with APEC-O78.
- Quantified APEC adhesion, virulence gene expression, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release.
- Measured levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) and analyzed NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- Schizandrin significantly reduced APEC adhesion to chicken type II pneumocytes.
- The compound decreased LDH release, indicating reduced cell damage.
- Schizandrin suppressed the expression of key inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α) and inhibited NF-κB and MAPK signaling.
Conclusions:
- Schizandrin effectively reduces inflammatory injury in chicken lung cells by inhibiting APEC adhesion.
- The anti-inflammatory mechanism involves the suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
- Schizandrin shows promise as a therapeutic agent for avian colibacillosis.

