• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제20권8호
• /
• pp.1222-1228
• /
• 2007

The aim of this experiment was to compare the characterization of fatty acid digestion of Beijing Fatty (BF) and Arbor Acres (AA) chickens. One-day-old male AA and BF chickens were raised in the same house, and fed with the same diet. We first evaluated utilization of dietary fatty acids in chickens by the total collection procedure, and chickens were then killed to compare the abundance of intestinal mRNA expression of liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) and intestinal-fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) by Real-time PCR, and also the pH of intestinal mucosa at 3 and 6 weeks of age. Another group of chickens were sampled at 6 weeks of age to compare the total bile acid concentration in serum, and lipase activity in contents of the small intestine. Results showed that compared to AA chickens, BF chickens had higher lipase activity in the content of the small intestine (p<0.05), greater total bile acid content in portal vein blood (p<0.05) at 6 weeks of age, lower intestinal mucosal pH at both 3 weeks (p<0.05) and 6 weeks (p<0.05) of age, and higher abundance of liver-fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) mRNA expression in intestine tissues at 6 weeks of age (p<0.05), and higher digestibility of fatty acids at both 3 and 6 weeks (p<0.05) of age. There was no difference in I-FABP mRNA expression between AA and BF chickens at either age. Thus, BF chickens had greater fatty acids utilization than AA chickens that was associated with L-FABP, lipase activity, bile acid content and intestinal mucosal pH.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제23권2호
• /
• pp.175-181
• /
• 2010

The effects of corticosterone (CORT) administration on the weight of small intestine and the expression of nutrient transporter mRNA in the small intestine of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) were investigated. One hundred and eight sevenday-old birds were randomly divided into two equal groups comprising a control group (CTRL) and an experimental group (CORT). CTRL birds were fed a basal diet and the CORT birds were fed a basal diet containing 30 mg corticosterone/kg from d 8 to 21. At 21 d of age, average daily feed intake (ADFI), serum corticosterone level, small intestinal absolute wet weight and relative weight, and relative abundance of SGLT1, CaBP-D28k, PepT1 mRNA in the duodenum and L-FABP mRNA in the jejunum were determined. The results showed that serum corticosterone level, liver weight and small intestinal relative weight (small intestinal wet weight/body weight) of CORT chickens were about 30.15%, 26.72% and 42.20% higher, respectively, than in the CTRL group (p<0.05). CORT birds had relative mRNA abundance of CaBP-D28k and PepT1 in the duodenum, and L-FABP in the jejunum which was 1.77, 1.37 and 1.94 fold higher, respectively, than in the CTRL group (p<0.05); the relative abundance of SGLT1 was 1.67 fold higher than in the CTRL group (p = 0.097). ADFI, small intestinal wet weight and length in CORT-treated broiler chickens was about 29.11%, 31.12% and 12.35% lower, respectively, than in the CTRL group (p<0.05). In conclusion, corticosterone administration lowered the wet weight but increased the relative weight of the small intestine and the expression of intestinal nutrient transporter mRNA of broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제25권5호
• /
• pp.701-707
• /
• 2012

Immune stress is the loss of immune homeostasis caused by external forces. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of immune stress on the growth performance, small intestinal enzymes and peristalsis rate, and mRNA expression of nutrient transporters in broiler chickens. Four hundred and thirty-two 1-d-old broilers (Cobb500) were randomly assigned to four groups for treatment; each group included nine cages with 12 birds per cage. Group 1 = no vaccine (NV); Group 2 = conventional vaccine (CV); group 3 = lipopolysaccharide (LPS)+conventional vaccine (LPS); group 4 = cyclophosphamide (CYP)+conventional vaccine (CYP). The results demonstrated that immune stress by LPS and CYP reduced body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), small intestine peristalsis rate and sIgA content in small intestinal digesta (p<0.05). However, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained unchanged during the feeding period. LPS and CYP increased intestinal enzyme activity, relative expression of SGLT-1, CaBP-D28k and L-FABP mRNAs (p<0.05). LPS and CYP injection had a negative effect on the growth performance of healthy broiler chickens. The present study demonstrated that NV and CV could improve growth performance while enzyme activity in small intestine and relative expression of nutrient transporter mRNA of NV and CV were decreased in the conditions of a controlled rational feeding environment. It is generally recommended that broilers only need to be vaccinated for the diseases to which they might be exposed.