Effect Of Oral Copper-Methionine On Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 In The Brain Of Broiler Chickens As An Animal Model For Malignant Ascites

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of copper-methinione on matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2) changes in brain of ascitic broiler chickens under cold stress. Ascites was induced bygrowing in cold temperature in broiler chickens from 28 to 45 d of age. 480 one-day-old broilerchickens were randomly assigned to six treatments (two temperature (thermoneutral and coldstress) and there levels (0, 100, 200 mg/kg) of copper- methionine with four replication in eachtreatment. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model procedure of SAS software.Treatment means were compared by the Least Significant Difference test and P- values less than0.05 were statistically significant. Ascites ( abdominal and pericardial fluid accumulation) weredetected at 45 d of age in broiler chickens reared in cold temperature and fed a diet without coppermethioninesupplementation. The brains were collected, and immediately stored at -80 ̊C forgelatin zymography and gelatin reverse zymography techniques. MMP-2 increased in brain ofascitic broilers. The results of zymography demonstrated that cold temperature increased MMP-2and feeding with copper-methionine was useful in prevention of MMP-2 in cold condition but it wasnot statistically significant. Feeding different levels of copper- methionine in normal temperaturedid not change MMP-2 in brain of broiler chickens. Tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase-2(TIMP-2) was not affected by temperature and different levels of copper- methionine in brain ofbroiler chickens. Therefore, TIMP-2 showed the same results in different treatments. In conclusion,oral copper-methionine can reduce ascites possibility in cold-stressed broiler chickens .