The influence of canine parvovirus infection on the metabolome of captive Chinese and Malaysia pangolins.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) infection poses a serious threat to pangolins, but the characteristics of the host response at the metabolic level remain unclear. In this study, we used non-targeted fecal metabolomics to systematically analyze differences in fecal metabolites in the Malaysian pangolin and the Chinese pangolin before and after CPV infection. The results indicated that CPV infection significantly altered the fecal metabolic profiles of both pangolin species. In the Malaysian pangolin, post-infection differential metabolites were primarily enriched in lipid metabolic pathways, such as α-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid metabolism, as well as inflammation-related pathways, including ferroptosis and necrotic apoptosis. Whereas the Chinese pangolin exhibited not only lipid metabolism dysregulation but also amino acid metabolic reprogramming and bile acid metabolism dysregulation. There were significant differences in metabolic responses between the two species, with the Malaysian pangolin characterized by lipid metabolism abnormalities, while the Chinese pangolin showed a greater focus on amino acid and bile acid metabolism. This study revealed the specific metabolic response of pangolins infected with CPV, provided potential fecal metabolic biomarkers for the early identification of CPV infection in pangolins, and provided a new theoretical basis for disease monitoring and intervention in pangolin conservation medicine.