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Eimeria acervulina and E. tenella: Effect on methionine absorption by the avian intestine

1976; Elsevier BV; Volume: 39; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0014-4894(76)90124-7

1090-2449

M. D. Ruff, D. R. Witlock, Robert R. Smith,

Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics

Absorption of l-methionine in the duodenum of intestine of chicks infected with Eimeria acervulina was markedly less than in uninoculated controls or birds infected with E. tenella. Absorption of methionine in the jejunal area of E. acervulina-infected birds was reduced although not as drastically as in the duodenum. There was no difference in the rate of methionine absorption by the ileum. The kinetics of methionine absorption showed that Vmax (maximum velocity) in the duodenum and jejunum of E. acervulina-infected birds was reduced when compared with the Vmax found in uninoculated controls or E. tenella-infected birds. There was no difference in the Kt (transport constant) regardless of the infection or the region of the intestine examined. No major consistent effect of decreased pH on the rate of methionine absorption could be shown. The broadly spatulate villi seen, using the scanning electron microscope, in control and E. tenella infected duodenum were absent in E. acervulina-infected duodenum. Instead, the villi were reduced in height and noticeably thickened. This reduction in villar height suggests that a portion of the reduction in methionine absorption was related to the change in surface area and loss of transport loci due to damage of the mucosal surface.