Feed intake alters immune cell functions and ovarian infiltration in broiler hens: implications for reproductive performance

• Published in: Biology of reproduction 2014-06, Vol.90 (6), p.134-134
• Main Authors: Liu, Zu-Chen, Xie, Yi-Lun, Chang, Chai-Ju, Su, Chia-Ming, Chen, Yu-Hui, Huang, San-Yuan, Walzem, Rosemary L, Chen, Shuen-Ei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed; Animals; Apoptosis - immunology; Caloric Restriction; Cells, Cultured; Ceramides - metabolism; Chickens - immunology; Coculture Techniques; Eating - immunology; Female; Granulosa Cells - immunology; Granulosa Cells - metabolism; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Leukocytes - immunology; Leukocytes - metabolism; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 - metabolism; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 - metabolism; Monocytes - immunology; Monocytes - metabolism; Obesity - immunology; Ovarian Follicle - immunology; Ovarian Follicle - metabolism; Ovary - immunology; Phagocytosis - immunology; Progesterone - metabolism; Reproduction - immunology; Sphingomyelins - metabolism
• ISSN: 0006-3363; 1529-7268
• DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.115824

Leukocytes are known to participate in ovarian activities in several species, but there is a surprising lack of information for the common chicken. Broiler hens consuming feed ad libitum (AL) exhibit a number of ovarian irregularities, but leukocyte functions are unstudied. In contrast to feed-restricted (R) hens, AL feeding for 7 wk significantly reduced egg production and clutch length while increasing pause length and atretic follicle numbers (P < 0.05). Granulosa cells from F1 follicles of AL hens contained less progesterone, and follicle walls were thicker with loose fibrous morphology and had less collagenase-3-like gelatinolytic activity but more IL-1beta (P < 0.05) production, suggestive of slower maturation in ovulatory process and inflamed necrosis. Interestingly, while highly infiltrated with immune cells, particularly heterophils, IL-1beta, MMP-22-like, and gelatinase A activities were reduced in AL hen peripheral heterophils and monocytes (P < 0.05); however, AL monocytes showed an increase in phagocytosis rate (P < 0.05). Generation of reactive oxygen intermediates was also suppressed in AL heterophils but increased in AL monocytes (P < 0.05). In contrast to leukocyte-free control, both AL and R heterophils and monocytes suppressed progesterone production and increased cell death in a dose-dependent manner when coincubated with granulosa cells at different ratios (P < 0.05). AL monocytes suppressed progesterone production more, but AL heterophils were less proapoptotic when compared to their R counterparts (P < 0.05). Alterations of cellular ceramide content (P < 0.05) corresponded to the discrepancy between heterophil and monocyte functionality. In conclusion, leukocyte dysfunction contributes to impaired ovarian activities of overfed broiler hens.