Screening of differentially expressed genes in the growth plate of broiler chickens with tibial dyschondroplasia by microarray analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a common skeletal disorder in broiler chickens. It is characterized by the presence of a non-vascularized and unmineralized cartilage in the growth plate. Previous studies have investigated differential expression of genes related to cartilage development during latter stages of TD. The aim of our study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the growth plate of broiler chickens, which were associated with early stage TD. We induced TD using tetramethylthiuram disulfide (thiram) for 1, 2, and 6 days and determined DEGs with chicken Affymetrix GeneChip assays. The identified DEGs were verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. RESULTS: We identified 1630 DEGs, with 82, 1385, and 429 exhibiting at least 2.0-fold changes (P < 0.05) at days 1, 2, and 6, respectively. These DEGs participate in a variety of biological processes, including cytokine production, oxidation reduction, and cell surface receptor linked signal transduction on day 1; lipid biosynthesis, regulation of growth, cell cycle, positive and negative gene regulation, transcription and transcription regulation, and anti-apoptosis on day 2; and regulation of cell proliferation, transcription, dephosphorylation, catabolism, proteolysis, and immune responses on day 6. The identified DEGs were associated with the following pathways: neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction on day 1; synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, ether lipid metabolism, JAK-STAT, GnRH signaling pathway, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, TGF-ß signaling, focal adhesion, and Wnt signaling on day 2; and arachidonic acid metabolism, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, JAK-STAT, insulin signaling, and glycolysis on day 6. We validated seven DEGs by qPCR. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate previously unrecognized changes in gene transcription associated with early stage TD. The DEGs we identified by microarray analysis will be used in future studies to clarify the molecular pathogenic mechanisms of TD. From these findings, potential pathways involved in early stage TD warrant further investigation.

Stanniocalcin-1 protects bovine intestinal epithelial cells from oxidative stress-induced damage.

Chronic enteritis can produce an excess of reactive oxygen species resulting in cellular damage. Stanniocalcin-1(STC-1) reportedly possesses anti-oxidative activity, the aim of this study was to define more clearly the direct contribution of STC-1 to anti-oxidative stress in cattle. In this study, primary intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for different time intervals to mimic chronic enteritis-induced cellular damage. Prior to treatment with 200 µM H2O2, the cells were transfected with a recombinant plasmid for 48 h to over-express STC-1. Acridine orange/ ethidium bromide (AO/EB) double staining and trypan blue exclusion assays were then performed to measure cell viability and apoptosis of the cells, respectively. The expression of STC-1 and apoptosis-related proteins in the cells was monitored by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The results indicated that both STC-1 mRNA and protein expression levels positively correlated with the duration of H2O2 treatment. H2O2 damaged the bovine IECs in a time-dependent manner, and this effect was attenuated by STC-1 over-expression. Furthermore, over- expression of STC-1 up-regulated Bcl-2 protein expression and slightly down-regulated caspase-3 production in the damaged cells. Findings from this study suggested that STC-1 plays a protective role in intestinal cells through an antioxidant mechanism.

The stimulatory effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 on the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralisation of osteoblastic cells from Holstein cattle.

This study investigated the effect of exogenous insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblastic cells from Chinese Holstein cattle and the resultant bone nodule formation and mineralisation in vitro. The osteoblastic cells were isolated and cultured, then identified using Giemsa and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining methods. The effect of different concentrations of IGF-1 on cell growth was assessed by MTT assay. The ALP activity and osteocalcin (OC) concentration in the osteoblastic cells were measured by a colorimetric assay and a radioimmmunoassay, respectively. Calcium nodules were observed using alizarin red S stain, while the content of matrix calcium was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Cell proliferation in the cultures was stimulated by IGF-1 at concentrations ranging from 1 to 200ng/mL, with the maximum effect observed at 100ng/mL. This effect was observed from day 1 and peaked at day 5, but decreased at day 7. At concentrations of 10ng/mL and 100ng/mL, IGF-1 significantly induced ALP activity, OC level, matrix calcium content, and nodule formation of the osteoblastic cells by 20-180% (P<0.05 or P<0.01), compared to controls. The results suggested that IGF-1 is an anabolic agent for the proliferation, differentiation, mineralisation and calcium content of dairy cow osteoblasts, and could therefore act as a potential treatment for the metabolic bone diseases in these animals.