Histopathological characterization of Penaeus vannamei experimentally infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease

Authors

  • Y Gu Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China ; Hainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China
  • P Ni Hainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China ; MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
  • M-Q Wang Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China ; Hainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China ; MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China ; Shandong Key Laboratory of Marine Seed Industry (preparatory), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China ; Qingdao Institute of Maritime Silk Road (Qingdao Institute of Blue Seed Industry), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266073, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25431/1824-307X/isj.v21i1.179-192

Keywords:

acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease, histopathological analysis, Penaeus vannamei, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus carrying the pirA and pirB gene is one of the major pathogens causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in shrimp. It primarily targets the hepatopancreas as target tissue, causing pathological damage by releasing binary toxins during intestinal colonization. In this study, Penaeus vannamei were infected with V. parahaemolyticus causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VpAHPND), and tissue samples were collected from surviving, moribund, and dead shrimps, including gills, heart, stomach, hepatopancreas, muscle, midgut, hindgut, and pleopod. The relationship between bacterial loads and pathological damage in the infected shrimp tissues was identified using real-time PCR (qPCR) combined with histopathology. The qPCR results showed that V. parahaemolyticus was detectable in all tissue samples, with the highest positivity rate in the hepatopancreas at 94.44%, and the lowest in muscles at 44.44%. The hepatopancreas is highly sensitive tissues for AHPND detection, sequentially followed by pleopod and gill. Histopathological analysis revealed that VpAHPND infection caused varying degrees of damage to the morphology of tissues such as shrimp gills, stomach, hepatopancreas, midgut, hindgut, and pleopods. By analyzing the pathological characteristics of infected tissues with different bacterial load levels, a high correlation was found between the load of V. parahaemolyticus in each tissue and the degree of infection. This study can help to understand the pathogenic mechanism of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in shrimp, assess the degree of infection, and evaluate the progress of the disease.

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Published

2025-01-20

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Research Reports