The key role of vitamin C in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension of meat-type chickens: role of caspase-۳

Ascites is a prominent example of the pathophysiological interaction between the heart and lungs in broilers. Previous experiments have shown that the amount of apoptosis increases in heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. In current study, the effect of vitamin C on apoptosis was investigated by measuring the expression of caspase-۳ gene in the heart and lungs of chickens with ascites. For this purpose, ninety one-day-old meat-type chickens were divided into three groups (sham (basal diet), control (basal diet + triiodothyronine (T۳)) and treatment group (basal diet + T۳ + vitamin C)) and bred for ۴۹ days. On the ۲۱st and ۴۹th days after rearing, ۱۵ chickens from each group were selected randomly, and right ventricle/ total ventricle weight ratio (RV/TV) as well as the expression level of caspase-۳ genes in the lung and right ventricle of all groups were measured and compared. The amount of mRNA related to caspase-۳ gene at the age of ۲۱ and ۴۹ days demonstrated a meaningful decrease in the treatment group compared to the control group (P<۰.۰۵). This significant difference indicates the reduction of apoptosis in the group that was treated with vitamin C. Also, RV/TV as an index of the induction of this syndrome improved in the treatment group at the age of ۲۱ and ۴۹ days (P<۰.۰۵). Finally, according to the findings of the current study, it seems that vitamin C has ameliorating effects in the treatment of ascites in meat-type chickens.Ascites is a prominent example of the pathophysiological interaction between the heart and lungs in broilers. Previous experiments have shown that the amount of apoptosis increases in heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. In current study, the effect of vitamin C on apoptosis was investigated by measuring the expression of caspase-۳ gene in the heart and lungs of chickens with ascites. For this purpose, ninety one-day-old meat-type chickens were divided into three groups (sham (basal diet), control (basal diet + triiodothyronine (T۳)) and treatment group (basal diet + T۳ + vitamin C)) and bred for ۴۹ days. On the ۲۱st and ۴۹th days after rearing, ۱۵ chickens from each group were selected randomly, and right ventricle/ total ventricle weight ratio (RV/TV) as well as the expression level of caspase-۳ genes in the lung and right ventricle of all groups were measured and compared. The amount of mRNA related to caspase-۳ gene at the age of ۲۱ and ۴۹ days demonstrated a meaningful decrease in the treatment group compared to the control group (P<۰.۰۵). This significant difference indicates the reduction of apoptosis in the group that was treated with vitamin C. Also, RV/TV as an index of the induction of this syndrome improved in the treatment group at the age of ۲۱ and ۴۹ days (P<۰.۰۵). Finally, according to the findings of the current study, it seems that vitamin C has ameliorating effects in the treatment of ascites in meat-type chickens.

Keywords:

Ascites , Apoptosis , Broiler , Caspase-۳ , Triiodothyronine , Vitamin C