Oral administration of Allium sativum extract protects against infectious bursal disease in chickens

Garlic (Allium sativum, Liliaceae) has been safely used for more than 5000 years, and research on garlic extract is rapidly increasing because of its multiple biological functions. The in vivo effects of oral administration of garlic mixture (GM, water-soluble extract) on infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)-infected specific pathogen free male white leghorn chicken were examined through histopathological, immunohistochemical, and Western blot analyses, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results confirmed the protective effects of oral administration of 5 mg·kg-1 BW GM (Group GM1) on bursal lesions after IBDV infection. In particular, protein expression of IBDV in the bursa decreased in Group GM1, indicating that GM administration decreased IBDV replication in the bursa. Furthermore, immunoglobulin M- and A-bearing B lymphocytes significantly increased 7 days post infection in bursae in Group GM1 (P<0.01), suggesting that the oral administration of 5 mg·kg-1 GM offers moderate protection against B cell destruction after IBDV infection. During infection, the concentration of bursal interferon gamma (IFN-g) increased and peaked in Group GM1 earlier than in Group T (IBDV-exposed), demonstrating that GM administration prompted the production of IFN-g to protect against IBDV infection

Androgen inhibits abdominal fat accumulation and negatively regulates the PCK1 gene in male chickens.

Capons are male chickens whose testes have been surgically incised. Capons show a significant increase in fat accumulation compared to intact male chickens. However, while caponization leads to a significant reduction in androgen levels in roosters, little is known about the molecular mechanisms through which androgen status affects lipogenesis in avian species. Therefore, investigation of the influence of androgens on fat accumulation in the chicken will provide insights into this process. In this study, Affymetrix microarray technology was used to analyze the gene expression profiles of livers from capons and intact male chickens because the liver is the major site of lipogenesis in avian species. Through gene ontology, we found that genes involved in hepatic lipogenic biosynthesis were the most highly enriched. Interestingly, among the upregulated genes, the cytosolic form of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) gene showed the greatest fold change. Additionally, in conjunction with quantitative real-time PCR data, our results suggested that androgen status negatively regulated the PCK1 gene in male chickens

Relative mRNA expression of <i>PCK1</i> in different groups.

<p>Twelve livers each from the control and capon groups (at different ages) were selected for carrying out qRT-PCR. When significant differences were found between the 2 groups, 12 livers from the embed group were also subjected to qRT-PCR. Results are presented as means ± SE; *, <i>P</i><0.05; **, <i>P</i><0.01.</p

Genes differentially expressed (q <0.05) in capons’ livers compared to control livers of male White Leghorn chickens.

<p><b>Note:</b> Accession numbers of the genes are shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0059636#pone.0059636.s001" target="_blank">File S1</a>.</p

Relative mRNA expression of the <i>ME1</i> gene in the different groups.

<p>Twelve livers each from the control and capon groups (of chickens with different ages) were selected for carrying out qRT-PCR. Results are presented as means ± SE; *, <i>P</i><0.05; **, <i>P</i><0.01.</p

Serum testosterone content in the different groups.

<p>Serum testosterone content was determined in chickens from the control, capon and embed groups. *, <i>P</i><0.05; **, <i>P</i><0.01.</p

Serum estradiol content in the different groups.

<p>Serum estradiol content was determined in chickens from the control, capon and embed groups. *, <i>P</i><0.05; **, <i>P</i><0.01.</p

Abdominal fat content of White Leghorn male chickens at different ages for the 3 groups.

<p>Note: All values are depicted as means ± SE.</p>α,β<p><i>P</i><0.01;</p>a,b<p><i>P</i><0.05;</p>*<p>age at the end of the experiment.</p