Feed deprivation in poultry farming imposes some degree of stress to the birds, and adversely affects their well -being. Serum levels of acute phase proteins (APP) are potential physiological indicators of stress attributed to feed deprivation. However, it has not been determined how long it takes for a measurable APP response to stressors to occur in avian species. An experiment was designed to delineate the APP and circulating levels of corticosterone responses in commercial broiler chickens to feed deprivation for 30 h. It was hypothesized that feed deprivation would elicit both APP and corticosterone (CORT) reactions within 30 h that is probably associated with stress of hunger. Twenty-one day old birds were subjected to one of 5 feed deprivation periods: 0 (ad libitum, AL), 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 h. Upon completion of the deprivation period, blood samples were collected to determine serum CORT, ovotransferrin (OVT), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and ceruloplasmin (CP) concentrations. Results showed that feed deprivation for 24 h or more caused a marked elevation in CORT (P=0.002 and P<0.0001, respectively) when compared to AL. However, increases in AGP (P=0.0005), CP (P=0.0002), and OVT (P=0.0003) were only noted following 30 h of feed deprivation. It is concluded that elicitation of AGP, CP, and OVT response may represent a more chronic stressful condition than CORT response in assessing the well-being of broiler chickens.
This study was conducted to determine whether early age feed restriction improves heat tolerance in female broiler chickens. Chicks were brooded for 3 wk and then maintained at 24+/-1 C. On Day 0, chicks were assigned to one of four feeding regimens; each regimen was applied to four cages of chicks. The feeding regimens were 1) ad libitum feeding (ALF); 2) 40% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F40); 3) 60% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F60); and (4) 80% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F80). From 35 to 41 d of age, all birds were exposed to 38+/-1 C for 2 h/d. Serum concentrations of glucose were elevated by the heat challenge, but were not affected by the feeding regimen. The heat treatment resulted in hypocholesteremia among ALF and F80 chicks, whereas the concentrations increased and remained constant in the F60 and F40 birds, respectively. Subjecting chicks to F60 improved growth and survivability and reduced heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H/L) in response to the heat treatment as compared with the ALF and F80 regimens. The survivability rate and H/L of F40 chicks were similar to those attained by chicks on other regimens. Newcastle disease antibody titer of ALF birds declined with duration of heat treatment. It is concluded that the F60 regimen is beneficial for alleviating, at least in part, the detrimental effects of heat stress in female broiler chickens.
The effect of alteration of eating pattern during Ramadan on body mass index (BMI), serum fructosamine: total protein ratio (F/TP), and glucose level in 18 healthy male Asiatic Moslems were studied. The results showed a significant decrease (p less than 0.025) in F/TP at the second week of Ramadan in 11 subjects who experienced continuous decrease in BMI throughout Ramadan. The remaining 7 subjects showed no significant changes in BMI and F/TP. No evidence of hypoglycaemia was observed in the subjects during the study. Serum fructosamine: total protein ratio in subjects with altered eating pattern preferably should be interpreted along with the change in body mass index.
1. This study was conducted to determine the effect of early-age food restriction on heat shock protein (hsp) 70 synthesis in the brains of female broiler chickens exposed to high ambient temperatures. 2. Chicks were brooded for 3 weeks and then maintained at 24+/-1 degrees C. 3. On d 0, chicks were assigned to one of 4 feeding regimens; each regimen was applied to 4 cages of chicks. The regimens were: (1) ad libitum feeding (AL); (2) 80% food restriction at 4, 5 and 6 d of age (F80); (3) 60% food restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F60); and (4) 40% food restriction at 4, 5 and 6 d of age (F40). From d 35 to d 41, all chicks were subjected to 38+/-1 degrees C for 2 h/d. 4. One day following food restriction (d 7), hsp 70 expression in the brain samples of F60 and F40 chicks was augmented but not those fed AL and F80. 5. Prior to the heat challenge (d 35), all chicks had similar hsp 70 response. Irrespective of feeding regimen, there was a marked increase in hsp 70 expression after 4 d of heat treatment (d 38). Following 7 d of heat exposure (d 41), except for the F60 chicks, the augmented hsp 70 expression in the brains of AL, F80 and F40 birds was not maintained. 6. Enhancement of hsp 70 expression was noted in birds subjected to F60, but not AL, F80 or F40, throughout the period of heat exposure.
Budding and relocation of nests are important characteristics of the Pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis (L.), an important pest of artificial structures. Pharaoh ant colony movements induced by several types of disturbances were evaluated in the laboratory. The percentages of workers and brood in the source and new nest sites were determined at Days 0, 1, 3, and 5 following physical disturbance (temporal removal of nestmates), chemical disturbance (application of pyrethroid insecticide), invasion by heterospecific ants, food depletion, and moisture depletion in the laboratory. All disturbances were performed in the source nest, which was connected to an empty new nest site. Almost all workers moved and carried the entire brood to the new nest site when subjected to physical disturbance, chemical disturbance, and ant invasion on Day 1, whereas only <5% of workers were present in the new nest site in the undisturbed control. After these disturbances, the brood was never relocated back to the original nest site in this 5-d study. When subjected to food depletion, ∼60% of the brood were found in the new nest site and ∼40% of the brood remained in the original nest on Day 5, resulting in a polydomous population. In contrast, moisture depletion did not show any significant effect on colony movement. These results provide useful information about the causes of Pharaoh ant colony budding and guidance about how to develop effective control and prevention strategies.
The aim of the current study was to determine the physiological response to feed restriction in female broiler breeders using a range of conventional and novel indicators. One hundred female breeders were subjected to one of five feeding regimens from d 28 to 42 as follows (i) ad libitum feeding (AL), (ii-v) 75, 60, 45, and 30% of ad libitum feed intake. Blood heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (HLR), and plasma circulating corticosterone (CORT), ghrelin (GHR), serotonin (5-HT), and dopamine (DA) and serum acute phase proteins (APP) concentrations together with brain heat shock protein (HSP) 70 level were measured. The results showed a significant effect of feed restriction on blood HLR and plasma CORT, GHR, 5-HT, DA, and brain HSP 70 levels. However, feed restriction had no effect on serum levels of APP of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, ovotransferin, and ceruloplasmin. Serum levels of 5-HT and GHR varied curvilinearly with the feed restriction level. The relationship between brain HSP 70 and level of feed restriction was negligible. However, significant linear relationships between HLR, CORT, DA, and the level of feed restriction were noted. Thus, these 3 parameters appear to represent a straight forward relation with severity of feed restriction.
Stressors may influence chicken susceptibility to pathogens such as Salmonella enterica. Feed withdrawal stress can cause changes in normal intestinal epithelial structure and may lead to increased attachment and colonization of Salmonella. This study aimed to investigate modulatory effects of epigenetic modification by feed restriction on S. enterica serovar Enteritidis colonization in broiler chickens subjected to feed withdrawal stress. Chicks were divided into four groups: ad libitum feeding; ad libitum feeding with 24-h feed withdrawal on day 42; 60% feed restriction on days 4, 5, and 6; and 60% feed restriction on days 4, 5, and 6 with 24-h feed withdrawal on day 42. Attachment of S. Enteritidis to ileal tissue was determined using an ex vivo ileal loop assay, and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression was evaluated using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. Feed withdrawal stress increased S. Enteritidis attachment to ileal tissue. However, following feed withdrawal the epigenetically modified chickens had significantly lower attachment of S. Enteritidis than their control counterparts. A similar trend with a very positive correlation was observed for Hsp70 expression. It appears that epigenetic modification can enhance resistance to S. Enteritidis colonization later in life in chickens under stress conditions. The underlying mechanism could be associated with the lower Hsp70 expression in the epigenetically modified chickens.
The aim of the current study was to elucidate whether inhibition of corticosterone (CORT) synthesis could modify stress response to feed deprivation and its possible interactions with feed restriction in the neonatal period in broiler chickens. Equal numbers of broiler chicks were subjected to either 60% feed restriction (60FR) or ad libitum (AL) on d 4, 5, and 6. On day 7, blood CORT, acute phase proteins (APP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and brain heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression were determined. On d 35, chickens in each early age feeding regimen were subjected to one of the following treatments: (i) ad libitum feeding (ALF), (ii) 24 h feed deprivation (SFR), or (iii) 24 h feed deprivation with intramuscular injection of 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) at 100 mg/kg BW (SFR+DDT). The effect of SFR on CORT, APP, IL-6, and HSP 70 were determined on d 36. The results showed that subjecting chicks to 60FR significantly elevated CORT and brain HSP70 concentration compared to the AL group on d 7. The early feeding regimen had no significant effect on CORT, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), ovotransferrin (OVT), ceruoplasmin (CP), IL-6, or brain HSP70 on d 36. The CORT, AGP, OVT, CP, IL-6, and brain HSP70 expression of SFR birds following 24 h of feed deprivation (d 36) were significantly higher than their ALF and SFR+DDT counterparts. Both ALF and SFR+DDT birds had similar values. Stress attributed to feed deprivation without concurrent increase in CORT had a negligible effect on serum levels of APP and IL-6 and brain HSP70 expression.
This study aimed to determine the effect of neonatal feed restriction on plasma corticosterone concentration (CORT), hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, and heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 expression in aged male Japanese quail subjected to acute heat stress. Equal numbers of chicks were subjected to either ad libitum feeding (AL) or 60% feed restriction on d 4, 5, and 6 (FR). At 21 (young) and 270 (aged) d of age, birds were exposed to 43 ± 1°C for 1 h. Blood and hippocampus samples were collected to determine CORT and Hsp 70 and GR expressions before heat stress and following 1 h of heat stress, 1 h of post-heat stress recovery, and 2 h of post-heat stress recovery. With the use of real-time PCR and enzyme immunoassay, we examined the hippocampal expression of GR and Hsp 70 and CORT. The GR expression of the young birds increased following heat stress and remained consistent throughout the period of recovery. Conversely, no significant changes were noted on GR expression of aged birds. Although both young and aged birds had similar CORT before and during heat stress, the latter exhibited greater values following 1 and 2 h of recovery. Within the young group, feeding regimens had no significant effect on Hsp 70 expression. However, neonatal feed restriction improved Hsp 70 expression in aged birds. Neonatal feed restriction, compared with the AL group, resulted in higher CORT on d 21 but the converse was noted on d 270. Neonatal feed restriction appears to set a robust reactive hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal response allowing the development of adaptive, healthy, and resilient phenotypes in aged quail as measured by a higher hippocampal Hsp 70 expression along with lower CORT.
Environmental stressors may influence chicken performance and susceptibility to pathogens, such as Salmonella enteritidis. This study was conducted to determine the effects of heat shock protein (Hsp)70 expression on resistance to Salmonella enteritidis infection in broiler chickens subjected to heat exposure. Chicks were divided into 3 feeding regimens: ad libitum feeding (control); 60% feed restriction on d 4, 5, and 6 (FR60); and 60% feed restriction on d 4, 5, and 6 plus 1,500 mg/kg of quercetin (FR60Q). On d 35, all of the chickens were individually inoculated with 1 mL of Salmonella enteritidis (1.5 × 10(8) cfu/bird) and exposed to an ambient temperature of 37 ± 1°C and 70% RH for 3 h/d. The FR60 and FR60Q chickens had significantly lower Salmonella enteritidis colonization and lower Hsp70 expression than that of the control chickens following the heat exposure period. The least colonization was observed in the FR60Q group (1.38 log(10) cfu/g in the spleen and 1.96 log(10) cfu/g in the cecal content) and the highest was in the control group (2.1 log(10) cfu/g in the spleen and 4.42 log(10) cfu/g in the cecal content). It appears that neonatal feed restriction can enhance resistance to Salmonella enteritidis colonization in heat-stressed broiler chicks, and the underlying mechanism could be associated with the lower expression of Hsp70.
The effects of early age feed restriction and heat conditioning on heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression, antibody production, resistance to infectious bursal disease (IBD), and growth of heat-stressed male broiler chickens were investigated. Chicks were divided into 4 groups: 60% feed restriction on d 4,5, and 6 (FR); exposure to 36 +/- 1 degrees C for 1 h from d 1 to 21 (HT); combination of FR and HT (FRHT); and control. From d 35 to 50, heat stress was induced by exposing birds to 38 +/- 1 degrees C and 80% RH for 2 h/d. On d 36, each bird was administered 10 times the normal dose of live IBD vaccine. After heat exposure, the FRHT birds had higher HSP 70 density (d 41) and weight gain (from d 35 to 49) and lower bursal histological score (BHS) (d 51) than their HT and control counterparts. The HSP 70 expression and BHS of FR birds were not significantly different from those of the other 3 groups during the heat exposure period. Heat shock protein 70 and BHS data were negatively correlated (r = -0.33, P = 0.0008). We concluded that FRHT could improve weight gain and resistance to IBD in male broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. The improved heat tolerance and disease resistance in FRHT birds could be attributed to better HSP 70 response.
In this study, we report the starvation effect and vibriosis infection on a tropical fish, the tiger grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus). The tiger groupers were infected with Vibrio vulnificus for 21 days. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate analysis was used to assess the variation in metabolite profiles of E. fuscoguttatus. Metabolite productions in infected fishes were significantly influenced by fatty acid production. The Omega 9 (ω-9) was abundant under the challenged conditions compared to Omega 3 (ω-3) and Omega 6 (ω-6). A total of six fatty acids from the ω-9 group were detected in high concentration in the infected fishes compared to the control groupers. These metabolites are Oleic acid, Palmitoleic acid, 6,9-Octadecenoic acid, 8,11-Eicosadienoic acid, cis-Erucic acid and 5,8,11-Eicosatrienoic acid. The production of ω-9 differed significantly (p ≤ 0.001) in the challenged samples. The detected ω-9 compounds were quantified based on three different extraction techniques with Supelco 37-component FAME mix (Supelco, USA). The highest concentration of ω-9 groups compared to the other fatty acids detected is 1320.79 mg/4 g and the lowest is 939 mg/4 g in challenged-starved; meanwhile, in challenged-fed, the highest concentration detected is 1220.87 mg/4 g and the lowest is 917.25 mg/4 g. These changes demonstrate that ω-9 can be used as a biomarker of infection in fish.
An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of 2 types of housing systems and early age feed restriction on heat shock protein (hsp) 70 expression and blood parameters in broiler chickens subjected to road transportation. On d 1, female chicks were housed either in windowless environmentally controlled chambers (temperature was set at 32 degrees C on d 1 and gradually reduced to 23 degrees C by d 21; CH) or in conventional open-sided houses (OH) with cyclic temperatures (minimum, 24 degrees C; maximum, 34 degrees C). Equal number of chicks from each housing system were subjected to either ad libitum feeding or 60% feed restriction on d 4, 5, and 6 (FR). On d 42, all of the birds were crated and transported for 6 h. Birds raised in OH had smaller increases in heterophil:lymphocyte ratios and plasma corticosterone concentrations than those of CH. Subjecting birds to FR dampened heterophil:lymphocyte ratios and corticosterone reactions to transportation. After 4 h of transportation, the OH birds had greater hsp 70 expression than their CH counterparts. Within the CH, the FR chicks showed higher hsp 70 density than those of the ad libitum-fed group. Except for glucose, housing system had a negligible effect on serum levels of cholesterol, potassium, and chloride. Collectively, the results suggest that the improved tolerance to transport stress in OH and FR chicks could be associated with better hsp 70 expression.