Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2-4
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-2-4
pubmed:abstractText
Moulting is a natural physiological process where the reproductive system of birds undergoes complete remodeling in preparation for the next laying cycle. In domestic chickens, moulting is artificially induced by feed withdrawal to recycle the old laying flock for best profit margins. This has received severe criticism from animal welfare organizations, forcing several countries to stop this practice. Several alternative methods to feed withdrawal methods were developed but were found to produce inconsistent results. Understanding the actual mechanism of moulting would help in designing a new animal welfare friendly method. The present investigation attempted to study the molecular mechanism of moulting in White Leghorn hens. Eighty-four layers (75 weeks) were divided into two groups. The birds in the first group were subjected to moulting by feed withdrawal (FW) while the other group received high dietary Zn (ZnF) treatment for 10 days. Six birds from each group were sacrificed on 0, 1-4, 6 and 10 days of moulting and mRNA expression of caspases-1, -2 and iNOS, along with the apoptotic ladder pattern and nitric oxide (NO) in the ovary and oviduct, was investigated. The mRNA expression of iNOS was upregulated with a corresponding increase in NO levels. Caspases-1 and -2 were differentially upregulated in the ovary and oviduct of moulted birds. A constant decline in serum estradiol and progesterone levels was also observed. It can be concluded that the pattern of reproductive regression during moulting by the two methods is different, as the expression of genes studied in the present investigation is different.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0378-4320
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
3
pubmed:volume
104
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
329-43
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Apoptosis, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Caspase 1, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Caspase 2, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Chickens, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Estradiol, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Female, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Fluorides, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Histocytochemistry, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Molting, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Nitric Oxide, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Organ Size, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Ovarian Follicle, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Oviducts, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Progesterone, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-RNA, Messenger, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Up-Regulation, pubmed-meshheading:17399919-Zinc Compounds
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Reproductive tissue regression: involvement of caspases, inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide during moulting in White Leghorn hens.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Avian Physiology and Reproduction, Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar 243122, Bareilly, India. danishvet@gmail.com
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article