Dichlorvos poisoning caused chicken cerebellar autophagy and changes of Caecal microflora

Juan Chen1, Yun Zhang2, Chenxi Jiang1

  • 1Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, PR China.

Poultry Science
|March 11, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Acute dichlorvos exposure harms broiler cerebellum and cecum structure, inducing oxidative stress and autophagy. This pesticide exposure also disrupts cecal microbes, linking gene expression changes to specific bacteria and suggesting a new pathogenic mechanism for dichlorvos injury.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Toxicology
  • Microbiology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Dichlorvos is an organophosphate pesticide with known toxicity.
  • Autophagy plays a role in cellular stress responses.
  • The gut microbiome's influence on host health is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of acute dichlorvos exposure on broiler cerebellar autophagy and cecal microbiota.
  • To analyze the relationship between autophagy-related gene expression and cecal microbial composition.

Main Methods:

  • Broilers were exposed to varying doses of dichlorvos.
  • Cerebellar and cecal tissues were analyzed using histological staining and immunofluorescence.
  • Gene expression of oxidative stress and autophagy markers was quantified via RT-PCR and Western blot.
  • Cecal microbial communities were profiled using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing.

Main Results:

  • Dichlorvos exposure caused structural damage to the cerebellum and cecum.
  • Oxidative stress and autophagy were induced in the broiler cerebellum.
  • Cecal microbial diversity and structure were significantly reduced.
  • Changes in autophagy-related gene expression correlated with specific bacterial populations.

Conclusions:

  • Acute dichlorvos exposure induces cerebellar oxidative stress and autophagy in broilers.
  • Dichlorvos-induced cerebellar injury is associated with alterations in the cecal microbiota.
  • The interplay between dichlorvos, cerebellar autophagy, and gut microbiota offers a novel perspective on its toxicological mechanisms.

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