Full Length Research Paper

Increase of hepatic nitric oxide levels in a nutritional model of fatty liver in broiler breeder hens

Ardashir Sheikh Ahmadi¹*, Mojtaba Zaghari¹, Mahmood Shivazad¹, Hossein Hassanpour² and Armin Towhidi¹

1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

2Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: A.sheikhahmadi@gmail.com. Tel: 989188785574. Fax: 982612246752.

Abbreviations: FLHS, Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome; MDA, malondialdehyde; PC, protein carbonyl; NO, nitric oxide; BW, body weight; EP, egg production; TBARS, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances; LHS, liver hemorrhage score; TG, triglyceride; ME, metabolisable energy; SEM, standard error of mean.

Accepted 2 July, 2010

   Abstract

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) is a metabolic condition of laying hens characterized by the accumulation of excess fat in the liver and liver hemorrhage. It suggested that oxidative damage to the cellular and organelle membranes of the liver increases the susceptibility of the liver to hemorrhage. However, a local chemical component that may affect the incidence of hemorrhage in liver, by affecting the blood pressure of liver, is nitric oxide. To clarify the effects of high (20 and 40% more than normal) and low (20% less than normal) food intake on plasma and liver oxidative products, malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC), and also nitric oxide (NO) in over fed broiler breeder hens, 198 hens (30 weeks old) were fed for 30 days (two 14-day period). Feed intake, body weight (BW), egg production (EP), plasma NO, MDA and CP were measured at the end of each 14-day periods. Food intake did not reduce during 4 weeks of experiment in hens fed with 20 and 40% above their estimated requirement. Increased food intake resulted in increased body weight gain significantly (P < 0.05). Egg production significantly declined in hens provided with C+40% diet (P < 0.05). Liver MDA, NO and PC concentrations were increased in C+40% hens in second period of experiment (P < 0.05). Liver hemorrhage score of hens fed C+40% diet significantly was higher in the second period of the experiment. It was concluded that an increase in liver hemorrhage in over fed broiler breeder can be associated with the oxidative stress components (MDA, PC) and liver NO concentration.

Key words: Fatty liver, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, broiler breeder.