CpG-ODN induced antimicrobial immunity in neonatal chicks involves a substantial shift in serum metabolic profiles
Scientific Reports, vol. 11, pp. 9028
Abstract
Synthetic CpG-ODNs can promote antimicrobial immunity in neonatal chicks by enriching immune compartments and activating immune cells. Activated immune cells undergo profound metabolic changes to meet cellular biosynthesis and energy demands and facilitate the signaling processes. We hypothesize that CpG-ODNs induced immune activation can change the host's metabolic demands in neonatal chicks. Here, we used NMR-based metabolomics to explore the potential of immuno-metabolic interactions in the orchestration of CpG-ODN-induced antimicrobial immunity. We administered CpG-ODNs to day-old broiler chicks via intrapulmonary (IPL) and intramuscular (IM) routes. A negative control group was administered IPL distilled water (DW). In each group (n = 60), chicks (n = 40) were challenged with a lethal dose of Escherichia coli, two days post-CpG-ODN administration. CpG-ODN administered chicks had significantly higher survival (P < 0.05), significantly lower cumulative clinical scores (P < 0.05), and lower bacterial loads (P < 0.05) compared to the DW control group. In parallel experiments, we compared NMR-based serum metabolomic profiles in neonatal chicks (n = 20/group, 24 h post-treatment) treated with IM versus IPL CpG-ODNs or distilled water (DW) control. Serum metabolomics revealed that IM administration of CpG-ODN resulted in a highly significant and consistent decrease in amino acids, purines, betaine, choline, acetate, and a slight decrease in glucose. IPL CpG-ODN treatment resulted in a similar decrease in purines and choline but less extensive decrease in amino acids, a stronger decrease in acetate, and a considerable increase in 2-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, formic acid and a mild increase in TCA cycle intermediates (all P < 0.05 after FDR adjustment). These perturbations in pathways associated with energy production, amino acid metabolism and nucleotide synthesis, most probably reflect increased uptake of nutrients to the cells, to support cell proliferation triggered by the innate immune response. Our study revealed for the first time that CpG-ODNs change the metabolomic landscape to establish antimicrobial immunity in neonatal chicks. The metabolites highlighted in the present study can help future targeted studies to better understand immunometabolic interactions and pinpoint the key molecules or pathways contributing to immunity.
Authors 15
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Naama Karu Aachen Analytical Biosciences and Metabolomics Division of Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research
Leiden University · University of Alberta
Affiliation as printed
Analytical Biosciences and Metabolomics, Division of Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2300RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
Department of Biological Sciences and Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
-
Khawaja Ashfaque Ahmed corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. kaa201@mail.usask.ca
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Vaccinology and Immunotherapy, School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E3, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Sciences and Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biological Sciences and Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
-
Susantha M. Gomis corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. susantha.gomis@usask.ca
Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
Cited by 10 stored of 10
10 results
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).