RESUMEN
Reduced feed intake during heat stress (HS) disrupts glucose homeostasis, thereby resulting in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and triggering apoptosis in chickens. We hypothesize that glucose supplementation could reduce apoptosis in chickens raised under HS. This study comprised 456 28-day-old broiler chickens randomly assigned to four treatment combinations under glucose supplementation and HS. The treatments were TN0, TN6, HS0, and HS6 with two glucose levels (0% and 6%) and two temperature levels (25 °C (thermoneutral-TN) and 35 °C (8.00 AM to 8.00 PM, (HS)). After 7 days post-HS, the blood glucose level for the HS6 group was higher than for TN0, TN6, and HS0. We studied the mRNA expression of genes and caspase-3 activity in the four experimental groups. The expressions of GCN2, ATF4, CHOP, and FOXO3a increased during HS regardless of glucose supplementation, while PERK and MAFbx increased only under HS with glucose supplementation. We show that under TN conditions, glucose supplementation led to a significant increase in cellular apoptosis in the Pectoralis (P.) major. However, under HS with glucose, the level of apoptosis was similar to that of chickens raised under TN conditions with no glucose supplementation. The utility of glucose to curtail apoptosis under HS should be tested under other intense models of HS.
Asunto(s)
Pollos , Glucosa , Animales , Pollos/genética , Glucosa/farmacología , Músculos Pectorales , Calor , Suplementos Dietéticos , Respuesta al Choque Térmico/genética , ApoptosisRESUMEN
Glucose level in birds' tissue decreases due to heat stress (HS)-induced reduction in feed intake (FI); impairing metabolism and growth. The effect of glucose supplementation on the performance of broiler chickens was evaluated under thermoneutral (TN) and HS conditions. Glucose was supplemented at 0 and 6% under TN-(25 °C) and HS-(25 °C-35 °C-25 °C) conditions. The treatments were TN + 0%-glucose (TN0); TN + 6%-glucose (TN6), HS + 0%-glucose (HS0) and HS + 6%-glucose (HS6). There were 6 replicates (19 birds each)/treatment. Heat and glucose supplementation were applied from d28-35. At d35, Pectoralis (P.) major was sampled from one bird/replicate to determine glucose transporters' mRNA expression. Heat application lowered (p < 0.05) FI, body weight gain, and increased feed and water conversion ratios. Glucose supplementation increased total energy intake by 4.9 and 3.2% in TN and HS groups, respectively but reduced FI under TN and HS conditions. The P. major- and drumstick-yield reduced (p < 0.05) in HS0 compared to TN0, TN6 and HS6. Under HS, glucose supplementation improved eviscerated carcass weight by 9% and P. major yield by 14%. Glucose supplementation increased SGLT1 expression with/without heat treatment while HS independently increased the expression of GLUT 1, 5 and 10. Glucose supplementation under HS could improve performance of broilers.
RESUMEN
Even though water is the most essential nutrient for poultry production, adequate data on individual water intake in broiler chickens and its relationship with other traits of economic importance is scant. Water is provided to chickens in an unrestricted manner in spite of being a finite resource. Climate change continues to affect water sources and efficient bird use of water is long overdue. Understanding the biological basis of water intake is essential for sustainability of the poultry industry. Individual water and feed intake, and growth data was collected on 520 commercial broilers aged 14 to 42 days. We introduced the concepts of water conversion ratio (WCR) and residual water intake (RWI) as parameters that can be used to assess water intake efficiency. Water conversion ratio was defined as the amount of water consumed per unit of body weight gain, and RWI was defined as the difference between the actual water intake (WI) of a given bird and the expected WI by an average bird from the population with the same metabolic body weight, feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG). The correlation between WI and FI was positive (r=0.77; P<0.0001), and the correlation between WI and BWG was positive (r=0.80; P<0.0001). Based on the distribution of RWI, the bottom 5 birds (LRWI) and the top 5 birds (HRWI) for RWI were selected for mRNA expression differences. The average broiler consumed about 7.8 L (± 1L) of water from 14 to 42 days of age. The mRNA expression of arginine vasopressin (AVP) antidiuretic hormone, calcium sensing receptor (CasR), sodium channel epithelial 1 subunit alpha (SCNN1A) and SCNN1D in the hypothalamus was upregulated in the LRWI group compared to the HRWI group. Similarly, kidney aquaporins (AQP) 2, 3, and 4 were upregulated in the LRWI group compared with the HRWI group. Given that water was provided ad libitum, the up-regulation of AVP and AQP gene mRNA expressions seem to indicate that the LRWI birds were more efficient in water reabsorption in the kidney compared to their HRWI counterparts. Increased water reabsorption will reduce the amount of water consumed to attain hydration. The water reabsorption potential was reflected in the excreta moisture levels as the LRWI birds had significantly lower excreta moisture than the HRWI birds. Excreta moisture level require further studies and could be considered as a potential proxy trait for water intake.