ARS | Publication request: Expression of interleukins, neuropeptides, and growth hormone receptor and leptin receptor genes in adipose tissue from growing broiler chickens

Submitted to: Domestic Animal Endocrinology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 19, 2012
Publication Date: June 1, 2012
Citation: Hausman, G.J., Barb, C.R., Fairchild, B.D., Gamble, J.T., Lee Rutherford, L. 2012. Expression of interleukins, neuropeptides, and growth hormone receptor and leptin receptor genes in adipose tissue from growing broiler chickens. Domestic Animal Endocrinology. DOI: 10.1016/j.abbr.2011.03.031.

Interpretive Summary: Rodent and human studies show that fat tissue secretes many cytokines indicating that fat tissue plays an unexpected but important role in physiological and inflammatory responses. A number of chicken fat tissue cytokine genes were studied in growing broilers. Several cytokine gene levels examined did not change with age. However, several cytokine gene levels changed with age and several cytokine genes were identified in chicken fat tissue for the first time. Many of these cytokines can significantly influence growth and, possibly,disease resistance. Therefore, fat tissue cytokines represent a potential new target for regulating physiological processes in the growing chicken.

Technical Abstract: In this study, total RNA was collected from abdominal adipose tissue samples obtained from ten broiler chickens at 3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks of age and prepared for quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Studies of the gene expression of cytokines and associated genes in chicken adipose tissue were initiated since the discovery of leptin has shown in many animal species that adipose tissue derived factors can influence growth and physiology. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to examine the influence of age on the expression of adipose tissue interleukin-15, -18, neuropeptide Y, growth hormone receptor, leptin receptor genes and several other cytokines. Between 3 and 6 wk of age leptin receptor expression decreased (P = 0.013) with age while expression of interleukin-15 (P = 0.015) and growth hormone receptor (P = 0.002) increased. Furthermore, interleukin-18 (P < 0.001) and visfatin (P = 0.007) expression increased between 4 and 6 wk of age. This is the first demonstration of age related changes in cytokine gene expression in chicken adipose tissue. Future studies are needed to elucidate the role of adipose tissue cytokines in growth and, possibly, disease resistance.