Comparative analysis of chicken Intestinal Intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) following Eimeria acervulina (EA), E. maxima (EM), or E. tenella (ET) infection

Relative expression levels of mRNAs in chicken IEL experimentally infected with EA, EM, or ET were measured at 1 to 6 days post-infection (dpi) following primary and secondary infections. One week-old chickens were uninfected (negative control) or were orally inoculated with sporulated oocysts of EA, EM, or ET. One week later, the infected chickens were challenged with an identical inoculum of the homologous parasite. Intestinal samples were collected daily from 5 birds in a treatment group at from 1 to 6 dpi following primary and secondary infections. Cecum, duodenum, and jejunum were collected from the birds challenged with E. acervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella, respectively. Uninfected control samples and one of the 3 infection group samples were labeled with different fluorescent dyes and hybridized simultaneously on the same slide using a reference design with a dye swap protocol. Overall design: Thirty seven-condition experiment, Non-infected control vs. Primary or secondary EA, EM, or ET infected IEL at 1 to 6. Biological replicates: 2 replicates with dye-switching from each infection groups. Two replicates per array.