Effect of lipopolysaccharides and mixed Eimeria spp. challenge on performance and bone development in broilers

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Modern broilers exhibit impaired bone development alongside performance gains.
• Coccidiosis and gut barrier disruption (leading to LPS release) are key factors affecting broiler health and bone homeostasis.
• Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in coccidiosis-induced bone disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of co-challenging broilers with coccidia and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on bone health.
• To elucidate the effects of varying LPS doses and challenge timings on bone development and homeostasis.
• To enhance understanding of the gut-bone axis in broiler chickens.

Main Methods:

• Cobb500 male broilers were assigned to 6 treatment groups, including a non-challenged control.
• Birds were challenged with mixed Eimeria species and/or injected with LPS at different doses and timings.
• Bone health was assessed using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), micro-CT, and dynamic bone histomorphometry (calcein labelling). Serum sclerostin (SOST) levels were also measured.

Main Results:

• Challenged treatments (T2-T6) showed significantly lower bone mineral content compared to controls.
• Bone mineral density (BMD) was reduced in groups receiving higher LPS doses and coccidia challenge (T4, T5, T6).
• Micro-CT revealed altered tibial cortical bone porosity, and elevated serum SOST levels in the highest challenge group (T6), indicating bone homeostasis disruption.

Conclusions:

• Higher doses of LPS combined with coccidiosis significantly impair broiler bone development.
• The study provides evidence of aberrations in bone homeostasis and the gut-bone axis under these challenge conditions.
• Findings contribute to understanding the detrimental effects of concurrent gut infections and endotoxemia on broiler skeletal health.