ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2018, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (1): 102-110.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2018.01.012

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Effects of Heat Stress on Gene Expression of AMPKα1 and Lipid Metabolism Related Molecules in the Liver of Broiler Chickens

ZHOU Hua-jin, HU Xi-yi, YANG Jia-chang, DING Xiang-wen, WANG Yu, SONG Zhi-gang*   

  1. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China
  • Received:2017-05-08 Online:2018-01-23 Published:2018-01-23

Abstract:

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of heat stress on lipid metabolism and the underlying molecular mechanisms in liver of broiler chickens. A total of 96 AA broilers at the age of 28 with similar body weight were randomly allocated into 4 groups with 4 replicates of 6 chicks. The birds in two experimental groups were administered with 24 or 72 h heat stress with the temperature of (33±1)℃. The birds in two control groups were raised under normal temperature of (23±1)℃. After 24 or 72 hours high temperature exposure, 8 chicks from each group were sacrificed, respectively. The samples of liver and plasma were collected and stored in -80℃ for further determination. The growth performance was calculated. The levels of plasma glucose (GLU), uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TCHO), total bile acid (TBA), triglyceride (TG) in plasma were measured by spectrophotometer. The relative mRNA levels of SREBP-1c, FATP-1, LXR, APOB, CYP7A1, FXR and AMPKα1 in liver were detected by RT-PCR method. The results showed that:1) Heat stress significantly reduced body weight gain and feed intake of broiler chickens (P<0.05). 2) The content of glucose and total bile acid in plasma were significantly increased after 24 hours high stress (P<0.05), and the content of glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol in plasma were significantly increased after 72 hours heat stress (P<0.05). 3) The mRNA levels of FATP-1, SREBP-1c, APOB, LXR genes were significantly increased after 72 hours heat stress treatment(P<0.05). Heat exposure of 72 hours tended to increase genes expression of liver FXR and CYP7A1 (0.05<P<0.1). The mRNA level of AMPKα1 gene was significantly increased after 72 hours heat stress(P<0.05).In conclusion, heat stress significantly reduced the growth performance of broiler chickens. Short-term heat stress showed little or no effect on liver lipid metabolism, however long-term heat exposure significantly changed liver lipid metabolism at the molecular levels. The similar alteration profiles of the genes expression of AMPKα1 and genes related to lipid metabolism indicated that AMPK signal pathway might play important roles in the liver lipid metabolism of broiler chickens under heat stress.

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