Time- and dose-dependent effects of bacterial infection on iron metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the juvenile soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis.

Pathogen-induced high mortality is a severe problem in turtle cultures. Increasing evidence indicates that pathogenic infection may disrupt iron homeostasis, thereby creating a vicious cycle of iron imbalance-inflammation-oxidative stress. However, the effects of infection on iron metabolism and related physiological traits in turtles remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the response of iron metabolism in juvenile soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) under acute bacterial challenge and its association with inflammation and oxidative stress. We intraperitoneally injected juvenile P. sinensis (108 ± 2.5 g) with the recently identified pathogen Elizabethkingia anophelis at concentrations of 0, 3.24 × 10