Cellular profile of the abomasum of lambs fed four different diets and artificially infected with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis

• Grant number: 25/07313-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Ana Claudia Alexandre de Albuquerque
• Grantee: Rafael Campos Aguiar
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The gastrointestinal nematodes Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis are the most economically important helminths for Brazilian sheep farming, a highly relevant production niche in the national market. In addition, they generate symptoms in their hosts, such as severe anemia, hypoproteinemia, edema, diarrhea, poor absorption of nutrients, apathy, lethargy, but mainly, a decrease in productive performance and the progressive death of the individual. The frequent use of anthelmintics such as closantel, monepantel, imidazothiazoles, benzimidazoles and others has proven to be inefficient and unsustainable for the environment and the producer and potentially generates parasite resistance. In addition, the scarcity of studies on diet as a factor influencing the host's immune response reinforces the need for alternative strategies to control helminthiasis. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of diets with different concentrate levels (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) on the cellular profile of the abomasum and small intestine of male Dorper lambs experimentally infected with H. contortus and T. colubriformis larvae through immunohistochemistry and morphometry techniques, which will relate the diet to the local immune response. Thus, this study will contribute to a better understanding of the immune response as a function of diet against worm infection caused by H. contortus and T. colubriformis and will allow the development of nutritional strategies that optimize parasite management and thus promote greater productive efficiency and sustainability in Brazilian sheep farming. (AU)