Transcriptomic study of resistance to Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep supplemented with zinc

• Grant number: 22/15638-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Luciana Morita Katiki
• Grantee: Luciana Morita Katiki
• Host Institution: Instituto de Zootecnia. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Nova Odessa , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandro Francisco Talamini Do Amarante ; Ana Claudia Alexandre de Albuquerque ; Carolina Rodriguez Jimenez ; Helder Louvandini ; Rodrigo Giglioti

Abstract

Gastrointestinal parasitism by Haemonchus contortus in sheep causes an impact on animal health causing anemia, loss of appetite, decreased weight gain and loss of productivity in sheep farming. Due to the low efficacy of the few anthelmintic drugs on the market, the stimulation of host immune resistance to parasites has been the subject of much research. There is an established relationship between host immunity and the parasitic load by H. contortus. Nutritional supplementation of Zinc (Zn) is recognized for its ability to induce immunity in vertebrates. The nanoparticulate Zn (Zn-NP) has high bioavailability and longer permanence in the animal organism, promoting better immune activity. The objective of this work will be the transcriptomic study of resistance to infection by H. contortus in Santa Ines sheep artificially infected and supplemented with Zn and Zn-NP. Zn is being widely studied within a thematic project (FAPESP 2019/26042-8), in nutritional biodisponibility, effects over eggs, larvae, and adults of H. contortus, toxicity and humoral imunity but the transcriptomic study of genes related to immunity has not been programmed. At 3 months of age, naive lambs (n=60) from mothers supplemented or not during pregnancy will be divided into 6 treatments: 1. without Zn supplementation and without infection (Cu, n=1); 2. No Zn supplementation with infection (Ci, n=10); 3. With Zn supplementation and without infection (Znu, n=10); 4. With Zn supplementation and with infection (ZNi, n=10); 5. With Zn-NP supplementation and without infection (NPu, n=10); and 6. With Zn-NP supplementation and with infection (NPi, n=10). The animals will be infected weekly with 1200 L3 H. contortus from the 3th to the 8th month of age. All animals will be euthanized in the 8th month. Tissue samples from the fundic region of the abomasal mucosa will be collected for transcriptomic study using RNA-seq to identify immunological mechanisms in response to Zn supplementation or not in experimental infection with H. contortus. (AU)