Effect of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Early Intestinal Immune Function and Histomorphology of Immune Organs in Chicks

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota drives the maturation of the immune system, which is essential for maintaining lifetime homeostasis. Whether fecal microbiota transplantation can promote the development of the immune system in chicks? On days 1, 3, and 5, the post-hatch Hy-line Brown chicks were treated with fecal suspension from breeding hens. Intestinal length, blood biochemical indicators, the morphology of immune organs, and intestinal immunity-related indicators were focused on days 7 and 14. Short-chain fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography. We discovered that fecal microbial transplantation significantly increased the area of the follicles and medulla from the bursa of fabricius, as well as the area of the medulla, cortex, and both ratios from the thymus on 14 d, the concentration of butyric acid in feces, the levels of immunologically active substances (TGF-β, IL-10, Foxp3, GPR43, IgA, etc.) in serum or the intestine, and the number of goblet cells. Correlation analysis indicated that short-chain fatty acids, as metabolites of the gut microbiota, were correlated with intestinal immunity. In short, fecal microbiota transplantation regulated early intestinal immunity, which provided the possibility for the processing and utilization of gut microbiota as germplasm resources.