Histological and Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into Small Intestine Health in Diarrheal Piglets after Infection with Clostridium Perfringens Type C

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), formerly called Clostridium welchii, is a spore-forming pathogenic bacterium. C. perfringens type C can produce fatal toxins, which are absorbed by the small intestine into the body causing diarrhea in humans and animals, especially piglets. Each year, diarrhea induced by this pathogen causes significant economic loss to the pig industry worldwide. Nevertheless, the regulatory mechanisms of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum in piglets challenged by C. perfringens type C are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify pathological changes and genes associated with the small intestine in piglets after infection with C. perfringens type C. RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining were used to analyze duodenal, jejunal, and ileal tissues. Our results showed that treated piglets were successfully infected with C. perfringens type C. These findings will help to elucidate the pathogenicity of piglets infected with this pathogen