New Strategies for Controlling Viral Gout in Geese: Study on the Dual Regulatory Mechanism of Tai Acid (GML) in Antiviral Activity and Uric Acid Metabolism (First Report)
发布时间：2026-04-24
Since 2017, gout in geese has remained a persistent challenge for China’s goose industry, with morbidity rates as high as 30%–50% during the chick stage and mortality exceeding 50%. In the first two reports, the NIC R&D team at Guangdong nuacid systematically investigated a nutritional gout model induced by high‑protein, high‑calcium diets and demonstrated the significant effects of “QimeiSu” in regulating uric acid metabolism and preserving the structural integrity of the liver and kidneys. The study showed that QimeiSu successfully reduced serum uric acid levels by 60% and restored growth performance to 92% of the control group through multiple mechanisms, including decreasing xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and suppressing inflammatory responses.
However, the causes of gout in geese are not limited to nutritional factors. In production settings, the common causes of gout in geese can be broadly categorized into two main types: first, Nutritional factors , such as long-term feeding of a high-protein, high-calcium diet, leading to excessive uric acid production or impaired excretion; secondly, Infectious factors , recent studies have confirmed that goose astrovirus ( GAstV-2 ) is the primary pathogen responsible for viral gout in goslings; viral infection can directly damage the kidneys and urate transport system, leading to severe disruption of uric acid metabolism. Furthermore, Improper husbandry and management 、 Environmental Stress 、 Substance abuse Certain factors may also trigger or exacerbate gout. In recent years, goose astrovirus ( GAstV-2 ) Infection has become one of the major pathogens causing gout in goslings. Viral infection leads to disturbances in uric acid metabolism, liver and kidney damage, and high mortality, posing new challenges for prevention and control. To address these causes, clinical practice currently relies mainly on vaccines and hyperimmune egg yolk antibodies as biological products for prevention or early intervention. However, existing vaccines still suffer from a narrow protective spectrum, inconsistent immunization schedules, and uncertain efficacy against variant strains; while egg yolk antibodies can provide passive immunity, they exhibit poor batch-to-batch stability in antibody titers, have a short therapeutic window, and cannot reverse pre-existing liver and kidney damage. In practical application, these measures often struggle to simultaneously meet the multiple needs of antiviral action, uric acid reduction, and organ function protection. Therefore, building on our previous work demonstrating that “qimei su” alleviates nutritional gout, NIC R&D team and Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Further cooperation to explore Tai Acid (main component: lauryl monoglyceride) -GML etc.) in antiviral activity and regulation of uric acid metabolism, with the aim of providing a novel nutritional intervention strategy for viral gout that simultaneously addresses both antiviral effects and metabolic regulation.
Overview of Experimental Design
The study selected 7-day-old Magang geese to establish a GAstV-2 challenge model, with the following groups set up: Control group , GAstV-2 challenge model group ( Challenge group ）、GAstV-2 challenge model group + 500 g/t tiamulin group ( GML1 group ) and the GAstV-2 challenge model group + 1 kg/t tiamulin group ( GML2 group ), with a trial period of 16 days. By measuring changes in body weight, viral loads in organs, serum biochemical parameters, renal histopathological alterations, and the expression of genes related to uric acid transport, we systematically evaluated taisu The antiviral effects of (GML) and its regulatory role in uric acid metabolism.
GML significantly enhances infection
Body Weight and Growth Performance of GAstV-2–Infected Goslings
Figure 1 shows that GAstV-2 infection significantly inhibited the growth and development of goslings. By day 7 post-inoculation, the body weights of all challenged groups were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.01), exhibiting typical gout symptoms such as lethargy, reduced feed intake, and the excretion of white, watery feces. By day 16, the body weight of the challenged groups was only 83.4% of that of the control group, with average daily gain decreasing by more than 17%.
Figure 1: Effect of taurine on the production performance of Ma’ang geese infected with GAstV-2 virus
Add tannic acid (GML) significantly alleviated growth inhibition caused by viral infection. In the high-dose GML group (1 kg/t), body weight on day 16 was 10.2% higher than in the infected control group, and average daily gain recovered to a level close to that of the uninfected control group. This indicates that GML not only It has antiviral potential and can also partially repair metabolic damage caused by viral infection, promoting growth recovery.
GML effectively inhibits
Viral load and amelioration of hepatic and renal tissue lesions
Figure 2 shows that histopathological examination further confirmed the protective effect of GML. In the challenge group, hepatocytes exhibited widespread edema and lymphocytic infiltration, while renal tubular epithelial cells showed degeneration and necrosis; in contrast, the GML-treated group displayed only mild hepatocyte edema, with markedly reduced renal tubular damage and no observed necrotic foci. Figure 3 presents viral load analysis, which revealed active replication of GAstV-2 in both the liver and kidneys, with the kidney serving as its primary target organ. By day 7 post-challenge, renal viral loads had increased significantly and remained detectable through day 16. In the high-dose GML group, renal viral loads at 7 dpi were significantly lower than those in the challenge group (P < 0.05), and by 16 dpi had declined to levels approaching those of the control group, with some samples testing negative for the virus. These findings indicate that GML protects the structural integrity of the liver and kidneys by inhibiting viral replication and attenuating organ inflammatory responses.
Figure 2. Effect of taurine on the liver and kidney tissues of Ma’ang geese infected with GAstV-2 virus
Figure 3. Effect of taurine on viral load in the liver and kidneys of Ma’ang geese infected with GAstV-2 virus
Glycolic acid (GML) reduces serum and urinary uric acid levels and xanthine oxidase activity, and regulates the expression of genes involved in uric acid metabolism.
GAstV-2 infection caused significant increases in serum uric acid, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and xanthine oxidase levels, indicating impaired renal function and disrupted uric acid metabolism. In the GML-supplemented group, these parameters were significantly lower than in the infected control group at both 7 dpi and 16 dpi (P<0.01), with uric acid levels decreasing by nearly 40%. Further analysis of genes involved in uric acid transport revealed that GML markedly upregulated the transcriptional levels of ABCG2 and GLUT9 in the kidney. ABCG2 is a key transporter for uric acid excretion; its upregulation promotes uric acid secretion from renal tubules. GLUT9, on the other hand, participates in the regulation of uric acid reabsorption. By modulating the expression of these transporters, GML enhances uric acid excretion efficiency, thereby reducing serum uric acid levels.
Figure 4. Effect of taurine on serum uric acid and xanthine oxidase in Ma’ang geese infected with GAstV-2 virus
Figure 5. Regulation by taurine of serum uric acid metabolism genes in Ma’ang geese infected with GAstV-2 virus
Antiviral mechanism of tannic acid (GML)
Thailand Glyceryl monolaurate (GML), a medium-chain fatty acid monoester, is lipophilic and can insert into viral envelope structures, disrupting their integrity and thereby inhibiting viral replication and transmission. The results of this study support this mechanism: in the GML-supplemented group, renal viral loads were significantly reduced, and hepatic and renal tissue lesions were alleviated, suggesting that GML may directly inhibit GAstV‑2 replication while indirectly mitigating virus‑induced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. Furthermore, GML may also exert synergistic antiviral effects by modulating the gut microbiota and enhancing host immune function. Although the precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated, this experiment has clearly demonstrated its protective effect when used for early intervention in viral infections.
Conclusion
This study is the first Subsequent studies confirmed that the addition of glyceryl monolaurate (GML) to the diet can effectively alleviate GAstV-2–induced conditions through multiple mechanisms, including: Viral Gout:
1. Inhibit viral replication and reduce renal viral load;
Tartaric acid ( GML ) As a medium-chain fatty acid monoglyceride, it is lipophilic and can insert GAstV-2 The viral envelope structure, by disrupting the integrity of the envelope, thereby blocking viral adsorption and entry into host cells. Experiments show that the… 16 Viral testing of a subset of samples was negative, confirming their direct inhibitory effect on viral replication.
2. It reduces liver and kidney tissue damage and improves the structural integrity of these organs.
Histopathological examination revealed that taisu ( GML ) can significantly alleviate GAstV-2 This leads to hepatocellular edema, lymphocytic infiltration, and degeneration and necrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. Protecting the hepatic and renal architecture provides the necessary functional basis for normal uric acid metabolism and excretion.
3. Reduce the activity of xanthine oxidase in serum and lower uric acid levels;
GAstV-2 Caused by infection XOD Abnormally elevated activity accelerates purine metabolism into uric acid. Taishan ( GML ) Add group at 7dpi and 16dpi Serum at the time XOD Activity was significantly lower than in the infected group ( P<0.01 ), thereby reducing uric acid production at the source.
4. Regulate uric acid metabolism, upregulate ABCG2、GLUT9 By increasing the expression of transport proteins, it promotes uric acid excretion and lowers uric acid levels.
Tartaric acid ( GML ) Significantly upregulates key renal uric acid excretion transporters ABCG2 and reabsorption regulatory proteins GLUT9 the level of gene transcription. ABCG2 The increase promotes active secretion of uric acid by the renal tubules, while GLUT9 Appropriate regulation helps maintain the balance between uric acid reabsorption and excretion, synergistically lowering serum uric acid levels (with a reduction approaching 40% ）。
5. Improve growth performance, restore body weight and average daily gain.
High-dose tiamulin ( GML ) group in the 16 Body weight was higher in the toxin-exposure group. 10.2% , the average daily gain returned to a level close to that of the control group, indicating GML It not only exhibits antiviral and uric acid–lowering effects but also effectively repairs metabolic damage caused by viral infection, thereby enhancing overall production performance.
The overall effect was comparable to that of the control group; it is recommended that tiamulin be included in the daily diet of Magang geese ( GML ) the appropriate addition level is 1kg/t。 NIC The R&D team will continue to deepen the development of Taisuan ( GML ) Research on the synergistic mechanism with qimei su, exploring its role in “nutrition” + Comprehensive Prevention and Control Strategy under the Dual Drivers of Viruses , striving to develop a comprehensive solution covering both nutritional and viral causes of gout, thereby providing scientific support for the healthy and sustainable development of the goose farming industry.
Please refer to “ for related links. 2025 Empirical Study: The Secret Link Between Gout and Microstructural Changes in the Liver and Kidneys of Geese —How does “Qimei Su” help regulate uric acid metabolism by protecting liver and kidney structures through intracellular antioxidant pathways? 》 , « Gout in Geese: Nutritional Factors Can Reduce Hyperuricemia by 60%! Mechanistic Study of NIC-1’s Action in Lowering Uric Acid (First Report) 》
Written by: E Xiaodi
Reviewed by: Hu Youjun
Arranged by: Teng Jiahao
Keywords:
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