Two plants improve stress response of a subterranean herbivore by downregulating amphetamine addiction pathways

Abstract

Introduction: Captivity serves as the primary method for enhancing animal survival and productivity. However, the stress induced by confinement can hinder animal growth and reproduction. The administration of drugs to captive animals can effectively regulate their stress response and can also be used inartificial breeding, reproduction, and experimental animalization of wild species. The plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a subterranean herbivore, experiences significant stress during the captive process owing to its unique habitat.

Methods: In our study, we utilized Radix astragali (RA) and Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) extracts to intervene in the stress response of plateau zokors.

Results: Our findings demonstrated that RA and AS treatment considerably improved food intake and reduced weight loss, stress-related behavior, and stress hormone levels in plateau zokors. Furthermore, the excitatory pathway of amphetamine addition in the hypothalamus was suppressed by RA and AS treatment, acting through the Grin and Prkc gene families. Notably, after RA treatment, the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway, enriched by the Col1a1/3a1/1a2/6a1 gene, was significantly upregulated, potentially enhancing the immune function of captive plateau zokors.

Discussion: In conclusion, our research demonstrates that RA and AS treatment can effectively alleviate the stress response of plateau zokors in captive environments. The downregulation of the excitation pathway and upregulation of the immune pathway offer valuable insights into the response and potential mechanisms of plant-based drugs in mitigating animal stress.

Keywords: anti-stress; behavior; captivity environment; plateau zokor; stress.

Figure 1

Comparison of growth performance among groups of plateau zokor. (A) Feed intake; (B) weight reduction. CON, control group; RA, Radix astragali group; AS, Acanthopanax senticosus group. Different lowercase letters indicate that under the same treatment conditions, there were significant differences between the zokor groups. The same letter indicates no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05).

Figure 2

Comparison of heart rate levels of different plateau zokor groups. Different lowercase letters indicate that under the same treatment conditions, there were significant differences between the zokor groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 3

Comparison of the behavior of plateau zokor within 5 min in the open-field test. (A) Central compartment dwell time; (B) number of traverses, (C) mobile times; (D) climbing frequency; (E) number of modifications; (F) defecation and urination score. Different lowercase letters indicate that under the same treatment conditions, there were significant differences between the zokor groups (p < 0.05).

Figure 4

Expression analysis of DEGs after AS and RA treatments. (A) After AS treatment; (B) after RA treatment.

Figure 5

GO function and KEGG pathway of DEG enrichment. (A) GO function; (B) KEGG pathway; (C1) amphetamine addiction pathway after AS treatment; (C2) amphetamine addiction pathway after RA treatment; (C3) ECM-receptor interaction pathway after AS treatment; (C4) ECM-receptor interaction pathway after RA treatment.

Figure 6

Gene interaction network and pathway analysis of DEGs after AS and RA treatment. (A) After AS treatment; (B) after RA treatment. Different colors represent different core gene family, and line color represents T10 key gene associated genes.