{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T02:29:59Z","timestamp":1780367399093,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]],"date-time":"2025-05-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748044800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["32373178"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["32373178"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The hepatopancreas of Procambarus clarkii plays a crucial role in metabolism and immune response, encompassing vital physiological functions. In our study, we established a hepatopancreatic injury model using thioacetamide (TAA) and evaluated the therapeutic potential of a commercial astaxanthin-based product (AST-product) on hepatopancreatic health. The experimental framework included a control group (Con), an injury model group (M), and a treatment group (T), enabling a comprehensive analysis of the effects of treatments on hepatopancreatic biochemical markers, tissue architecture, gene expression, and metabolic pathways. The biochemical results indicated significant oxidative damage and fibrosis in the M group post-TAA treatment, evidenced by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and the disruption of tubular structures. Conversely, treatment with the AST-product significantly reduced MDA levels and ameliorated oxidative stress. Histological evaluations using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Sirius Red staining confirmed that the AST-product preserved tubular integrity and inhibited fibrosis progression. Metabolomic profiling revealed that the AST-product modulated key metabolic pathways, including arginine and proline metabolism, porphyrin metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism, which are critical for maintaining energy supply and antioxidative capabilities. This modulation mitigated the TAA-induced oxidative damage. Moreover, qPCR analysis demonstrated that the AST-product downregulated the pro-apoptotic gene CASP2, upregulated the energy metabolism-related gene NDUFA7, and enhanced the expression of the immune-related gene lysozyme, thereby boosting pathogen resistance. These findings elucidate the robust protective effects of the AST-product on hepatopancreatic health in P. clarkii, highlighting its potential to reduce oxidative stress, inhibit fibrosis, and enhance immune responses. This study provides a novel strategy for improving P. clarkii health in aquaculture and contributes valuable insights into hepatopancreatic protection and disease prevention in shrimp farming.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15111537","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,25]],"date-time":"2025-05-25T20:16:22Z","timestamp":1748204182000},"page":"1537","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Protective Effects of Astaxanthin on Thioacetamide-Induced Hepatopancreatic Damage in Procambarus clarkii: Insights from Biochemical, Histological, and Metabolomic Analyses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Jiawen","family":"He","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, 48 Wenhui Road, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jian","family":"Ju","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qingliang","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haiyong","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chuzhou Heyuxing Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chuzhou 239000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingying","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5238-8524","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hui","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1007\/s10499-021-00828-w","article-title":"The effects of ammonia exposure on immune response, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in Procambarus clarkii","volume":"30","author":"Luo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Aquac. 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