Supplemental Bacillus subtilis PB6 Improves Growth Performance and Gut Health in Broilers Challenged with Clostridium perfringens

Table 4

Intestinal lesion score and relative mRNA expression of intestinal tight junction proteins and proinflammatory cytokines in broilers.

Treatment^1	Control group	CP-challenged model group	Antibiotics; (positive control group)	B. subtilis PB6 low-dosage group	B. subtilis PB6 high-dosage group	SEM^2	value^3
Occludin	1.11^ab	0.50^c	1.39^a	0.75^bc	0.65^bc	0.093	0.009
ZO-1	1.04^c	1.43^bc	1.68^abc	2.54^a	2.01^ab	0.145	0.009
TRL4	1.1	1.06	0.98	1.38	1.24	0.069	0.335
IL-1β	1.32	2.04	1.47	2.14	2.87	0.199	0.106
TNF-α	1.06^ab	1.45^a	0.93^b	1.33^a	0.95^b	0.083	0.022
IFN-γ	1.12	1.83	1.15	1.68	1.76	0.137	0.289
Lesion score^4	0.00^d	1.25^a	0.33^c	0.75^b	0.66^b	0.088	<0.001

¹Treatment information: control group: basal diet; CP-challenged model group: basal diet and CP challenge; antibiotics (positive control group): CP challenge+10 mg/kg enramycin; B. subtilis PB6 low-dosage group: CP challenge+ of feed B. subtilis PB6; B. subtilis PB6 high-dosage group: CP challenge+ of feed B. subtilis PB6. ZO-1: zonula occludens-1; TRL4: Toll-like receptor-4; IL-1β: interleukin-1β; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; IFN-γ: interferon-γ. ²Standard error of the means; chickens/group. ³Mean values within a column with unlike superscripts letters (a, b, and c) are significantly different (). ⁴0 = no gross lesions; 0.5 = severely congested serosa and mesenteric hyperemia; 1 = thin-walled and brittle intestines with small hemorrhagic spots (>5); 2 = small amounts of gas production and focal necrotic lesions; 3 = large amount of gas-filled intestines and necrotic plaques.