Research Roundup April 2025 

Evaluating the Benefits of Green Tea Extract on Growth, Intestinal Health and Immune Response in Broiler Chickens

Ogundare TE, Kulkarni RR, Omaliko PC, Iwuozo OC, Enenya IG, Orimaye OE, Suberu SA, Jeje O, Fasina YO.

Necrotic enteritis is a disease in poultry caused by the bacteria Clostridium perfringens. The disease causes diarrhea, intestinal ulceration and mortality rates that can reach up to 50%, costing the poultry industry an estimated annual loss of $6 billion. Past strategies to control NE in poultry included antimicrobial growth promoters, but uncontrolled use has led to the development of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Researchers now are pivoting to alternative methods of balancing gut microbiota to keep flocks healthy. A recent study involving researchers from NC State’s Department of Population Health and Pathobiology and NC A&T State University’s Department of Animal Sciences evaluated whether adding green tea extract to the diets of broiler chickens affected their growth, gut health and immune response. Green tea extract has been identified as a potential alternative to in-feed antibiotics in a poultry diet due to the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and its proven benefits to balancing a healthy gut. Though further studies are needed, the results of this study showed that chickens given green tea extract had less harmful bacteria in their intestines and had healthier immune responses than chickens without green tea extract. 

The study was published in Pathogens and can be read here. 

Studying Diagnostic Imaging Features of Inflammatory Laryngeal Disease in Cats

Kurihara M, Yoshida S, Suematsu M.

Feline inflammatory laryngeal disease accounts for 6 to 20% of feline laryngeal disorders but is not well-documented in veterinary research and doesn’t have an identified underlying cause. A recent retrospective study, including first-author Dr. Manabu Karihara from the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, evaluated the imaging characteristics and clinical outcomes of seven cats diagnosed with this disease. The researchers reviewed the medical data of the cats and found that a variety of different imaging techniques like X-rays, echolaryngography and endoscopy all gave similar results when indicating masses or thickening in the larynx. No matter the imaging technique, the disease is difficult to distinguish from cancerous masses, so gathering a tissue sample through biopsy is necessary for a clear diagnosis. However, echolaryngography – a special type of ultrasound – not only gave detailed images but also helped researchers understand the structure and movement of the larynx. The results suggest that echolaryngography is a useful, non-invasive tool for diagnosing laryngeal disease in cats but that further research is needed to improve diagnostic methods.

This study was published in Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound and can be found here. 

Finding Genetic Link for Narcolepsy in Dogo Argentino Dogs

Mondino A, Vandewege MW, Artigas R, Delucchi L, Hermida KM, Yanez CE, Cullen JN, Friedenberg SG, Meurs KM, Stern JA, Olby NJ.

Mutations in the HCRTR2 gene are associated with narcolepsy in several dog breeds, including Labrador retrievers, dachshunds and Doberman pinschers. There are two known causes of narcolepsy in dogs: familial, caused by genetic mutations, or sporadic, meaning there is not a known genetic cause. While the mutations in these breeds are all linked to the HCRTR2 gene, there are slight differences in the mutations. An internationally collaborative study that included members of NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s genetics and neurology teams investigated whether mutations in the HCRTR2 gene were a cause for familial narcolepsy in Dogo Argentino dogs. To the researchers’ knowledge, familial narcolepsy had not been investigated in the Dogo Argentino. After studying the samples of 10 Dogo Argentino dogs, the results discovered and reported a novel duplication in the HCRTR2 gene. Further genetic testing in this breed is needed to identify carriers and prevent the further spread of this condition.

The study was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine and can be found here. 

Finding New Therapeutic Targets to Treat Harmful Viral Infections

John K, Huntress I, Smith E, Chou H, Tollison TS, Covarrubias S, Crisci E, Carpenter S, Peng X.

In order to find new treatments to combat viral infections like the flu, RSV and more, researchers must learn more about how immune systems combat the viruses. Human long noncoding RNAs, or IncRNAs, are a special type of RNA molecule that play an important role in how our cells work to regulate our bodies. A collaborative study that involved researchers from both the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and the Department of Population Health and Pathobiology identified a previously uncharacterized IncRNA known as VILMIR. The researchers found that VILMIR levels increase after infection and when cells are treated with interferon-beta, a protein the body uses to fight viruses. However, when scientists blocked VILMIR, the cells responded less strongly to both the virus and interferon treatment. The results of the study suggest that VILMIR helps boost the body’s antiviral defenses and could be a potential target for treatments against respiratory viruses.
The study was published in the Journal of Virology and can be found here.

Research Connection: Earl Ford

Graduate students in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences with varying focuses convened at NC State’s McKimmon Center for the 18th Annual Graduate Student Research Symposium earlier this month. We caught up with one of our students, Earl Ford, to learn more about the research he contributed to and his experience at the symposium. Check out his full research poster: go.ncsu.edu/earl-ford-poster