Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (8): 3519-3532.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2023.08.036

• BASIC VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Mechanism of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide against Immunosuppression Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Chicks Based on RNA-Seq Technique

WANG Jiandong1, TANG Yulin2, WANG Min3, ZHANG Baosuo4, YANG Fuqiang4, GAO Haihui1, YU Yang1, GUO Yansheng2*   

  1. 1. Institute of Animal Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China;
    2. College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    3. Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Ningxia, Yinchuan 750001, China;
    4. Ningxia Shunbao Modern Agriculture Co. Ltd., Qingtongxia 751600, China
  • Received:2022-10-11 Online:2023-08-23 Published:2023-08-22

Abstract: The aim of this research was to study the antagonistic mechanism of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppression in chicks based on RNA-Seq technology, and to analyze the changes of immune-related differentially expressed genes in spleen, so as to provide reference for the antagonistic mechanism of LBP on immunosuppression of chicks. One hundred and twenty 7 days old Hy-line brown laying hens were randomly divided into three groups:blank group (NC), cyclophosphamide group (CY) and Lycium barbarum polysaccharide group (CYLbGp). The immunosuppressive chick model was established by injecting 80 mg·kg-1 cyclophosphamide everyday into the pectoralis muscle for three consecutive days, and the same volume of normal saline was injected to the hens in NC group. After the establishment of the model, the chicks in the CYLbGp group were supplemented with Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) 5 mg·kg-1 by drinking water everyday for 30 consecutive days. At the end of administration, spleens were collected from 6 chicks in each group, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the three groups were detected by RNA-Seq. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were used to screen key differentially expressed genes and pathways. The results showed that after LBP intervention a total of 178 DEGs significantly reduced, and were significantly enriched in mitochondrial autophagy-animals, chemokine signaling pathways, C-type lectin receptors signaling pathways, B cell receptor signaling pathways, platelet activation, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity and Th1 and Th2 cells differentiation and other related immune pathways. PPI analysis showed that PIK3CD, JAK3, GATA3, HIF1A, NKX2-5 and INPPL1 were the key genes. The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the trend of transcriptomic data, which further indicated the high reliability of transcriptomic data. It can be concluded that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide can act on key targets such as PIK3CD, JAK3, GATA3, HIF1A and INPPL1. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide is involved in the regulation of mitochondrial autophagy, chemokine signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, B-cell receptor signaling pathway, platelet activation, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation and other signaling pathways, and thus it can relieve the immune suppression of chicks.

Key words: RNA-Seq technology, immunosuppression, Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, cyclophosphamide, spleen

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