Effects of thermal manipulation of eggs on the response of jejunal mucosae to posthatch chronic heat stress in broiler chickens

Thermal stress is a major source of oxidative damage in the broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) due to the latter’s impaired metabolic function. While heat stress has been extensively studied in broilers, the effects of cold stress on broiler physiologic and oxidative function are still relatively unknown. The present study aimed to understand how thermal manipulation (TM) might affect a broiler’s oxidative response to post-hatch thermal stress in terms of the mRNA expression of the catalase, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) genes. During embryonic days 10 to 18, TM was carried out by raising the temperature to 39 °C at 65% relative humidity for 18 h/day. To induce heat stress, room temperature was raised from 21 to 35 °C during post-hatch days (PD) 28 to 35, while cold stress was induced during PD 32 to 37 by lowering the room temperature from 21 to 16 °C. At the end of the thermal stress periods, a number of chickens were euthanized to extract hepatic and splenic tissue from the heat-stressed group and cardiac, hepatic, muscular, and splenic tissue from the cold-stressed group. Catalase, NOX4, and SOD2 expression in the heart, liver, and spleen were decreased in TM chickens compared to controls after both cold and heat stress. In contrast, the expression levels of these genes in the breast muscles of the TM group were increased or not affected. Moreover, TM chicks possessed an increased body weight (BW) and decreased cloacal temperature (TC) compared to controls on PD 37. In addition, TM led to increased BW and lower TC after both cold and heat stress. Conclusively, our findings suggest that TM has a significant effect on the oxidative function of thermally stressed broilers.

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Effects of thermal manipulation during embryogenesis and post‐hatch acute heat stress on the mRNA expression dynamics of cytokines in broiler chickens

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.621.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Moh'd Borhan Al‐Zghoul

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Mrna Expression ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Acute Heat Stress ◽

Thermal Manipulation

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Effect of Acute Heat Stress on the mRNA Levels of Cytokines in Broiler Chickens Subjected to Embryonic Thermal Manipulation

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9080499 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 499 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Khaled M. M. Saleh ◽

Mohammad B. Al-Zghoul

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Mrna Expression ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Incubation Temperature ◽

Cytokine Expression ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Acute Heat Stress ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

And Control ◽

Thermal Manipulation

Heat stress significantly impacts the immunity and cytokine expression of chickens. However, the effects of embryonic thermal manipulation (TM) on cytokine expression in broiler chickens (broilers) is unclear. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of TM on the splenic mRNA expression dynamics of certain cytokines—namely, IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-8, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, and IL-18—in broilers during subsequent exposure to acute heat stress (AHS). TM was performed by elevating the incubation temperature to 39 °C at 65% relative humidity (RH) for 18 h daily during embryonic days (ED) 10–18. On post-hatch day 28, AHS was carried out for 7 h at 40 °C. At 0 h and after 1, 3, 5, and 7 h of AHS, splenic tissues were collected from all study groups to evaluate mRNA expression by relative-quantitative real-time (RT)-PCR. Plasma was collected to measure IL-4, IL-8, and IFN-γ levels. At 0 h, TM significantly reduced the basal mRNA level of IFN-β and the plasma level of IFN-γ and IL-8. Moreover, AHS significantly decreased IFN-β in control chicks, decreased IL-4 in both TM and control chicks, and increased IFN-γ and IL-16 in TM chicks. IFN-α, IL-8, IL-15, IL-17, and IL-18 expression all significantly increased during AHS in both TM and control chicks, but expression dynamics were improved in TM chicks for all cytokines (except IL-17). AHS resulted in increased plasma IFN-γ levels in TM chicks only, and increased IL-8 levels at 3 and 5 h of AHS in TM chicks, but at 7 h in control chicks. Lastly, 3 h of AHS increased IL-4 plasma levels in control chicks. The results of this study may indicate that TM has a long-term effect on cytokine expression dynamics of broilers, especially during AHS. Therefore, TM may improve heat tolerance acquisition by increasing the expression of signaling proteins important to tissue stability and to repair mechanisms that are employed during and/or after heat stress recovery.

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Evaluation of Three Formulations of Essential Oils in Broiler Chickens under Cyclic Heat Stress

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11041084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 1084

Author(s):

Jared Ruff ◽

Guillermo Tellez ◽

Aaron J. Forga ◽

Roberto Señas-Cuesta ◽

Christine N. Vuong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Bone Mineralization ◽

Body Core Temperature ◽

Control Group ◽

Group 4 ◽

Body Core ◽

Cyclic Heat ◽

Group 2

The objective of the present research was to assess the dietary supplementation of three formulations of essential oils (EO) in chickens under heat stress (HS). Day-of-hatch Cobb 500 chicks (n = 500) were randomly distributed into four groups: 1. HS control + control diets; 2. HS + control diets supplemented with 37 ppm EO of Lippia origanoides (LO); 3. HS + control diets supplemented with 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm EO of Rosmarinus officinalis (RO) + 300 ppm red beetroot; 4. HS + 45 ppm LO + 45 ppm RO + 300 ppm natural betaine. Chickens that received the EO showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement on BW, BWG, FI, and FCR compared to control HS chickens. Average body core temperature in group 3 and group 4 was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced compared with the HS control group and group 2. Experimental groups showed a significant reduction in FITC-d at 42 days, a significant increase in SOD at both days but a significant reduction of IFN-γ and IgA compared with HS control (p < 0.05). Bone mineralization was significantly improved by EO treatments (p < 0.05). Together these data suggest that supplemental dietary EO may reduce the harmful effects of HS.

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Bacillus subtilis-Based Probiotic Improves Skeletal Health and Immunity in Broiler Chickens Exposed to Heat Stress

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061494 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1494

Author(s):

Sha Jiang ◽

Fei-Fei Yan ◽

Jia-Ying Hu ◽

Ahmed Mohammed ◽

Heng-Wei Cheng

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Stress Sensitivity ◽

Current Data ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Skeletal Health ◽

Welfare Issue ◽

And Performance

The elevation of ambient temperature beyond the thermoneutral zone leads to heat stress, which is a growing health and welfare issue for homeothermic animals aiming to maintain relatively constant reproducibility and survivability. Particularly, global warming over the past decades has resulted in more hot days with more intense, frequent, and long-lasting heat waves, resulting in a global surge in animals suffering from heat stress. Heat stress causes pathophysiological changes in animals, increasing stress sensitivity and immunosuppression, consequently leading to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and related neuroinflammation. Probiotics, as well as prebiotics and synbiotics, have been used to prevent or reduce stress-induced negative effects on physiological and behavioral homeostasis in humans and various animals. The current data indicate dietary supplementation with a Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic has similar functions in poultry. This review highlights the recent findings on the effects of the probiotic Bacillus subtilis on skeletal health of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. It provides insights to aid in the development of practical strategies for improving health and performance in poultry.

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The effects of the mixture of betaine, vitamin C, St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), lavender, and Melissa officinalis on performance and some physiological parameters in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress

Poultry Science ◽

10.1016/j.psj.2021.101344 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 101344

Author(s):

Hamid Reza Behboodi ◽

Asghar Sedaghat ◽

Atefeh Baradaran ◽

Hadi Haghbin Nazarpak

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Hypericum Perforatum ◽

Physiological Parameters ◽

Melissa Officinalis ◽

St John’S Wort ◽

St John's Wort ◽

Hypericum Perforatum L

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Effects of heat stress on the immune responses of chickens subjected to thermal manipulation in the pre-hatch period

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/004.2021.00003 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Kőrösi Molnár ◽

László Kőrösi ◽

Bence Balázs ◽

András Gáspárdy

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Broiler Chicks ◽

Acute Heat Stress ◽

Positive Antibody ◽

Antibody Titres ◽

Embryonic Life ◽

Parent Stock ◽

Heat Stress Tolerance ◽

32 C 10 ◽

Thermal Manipulation

AbstractHeat stress affects the performance of poultry species and also induces immunosuppression. Chickens can be treated by thermal conditioning to have better heat stress tolerance. Our purpose was to determine the effect of acute heat stress on the immune response, i.e. antibody production against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and change in the proportion of leukocyte components, in chicks subjected to prenatal heat conditioning. Eighty as-hatched broiler chicks from the same parent stock were used: control (40 chicks incubated at 36.7 °C from days 18–20 of embryonic life) and thermally manipulated (TM) (40 chicks incubated at 38.4 °C from day 18–20 of embryonic life; 4 h/day). The chickens were exposed to heat stress: at day 19 (31 °C/8 h) and at day 35 (32 °C/10 h). The first heat stress (day 19) decreased the lymphocyte counts and significantly increased the heterophil counts (P < 0.05) in both treatments (from 34.25 to 55% in the controls and from 37 to 60.06% in the TM chicks). The second heat stress (day 35) did not alter the heterophil and lymphocyte profiles of the chickens. Before the heat stress, all of the chickens (control and TM) presented the same positive antibody titres to NDV vaccination. After the first heat stress, 50% of the control samples and 40% of samples from the TM chickens were negative. After the second heat stress, 80% of the TM samples were negative.

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