Journal
ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL
Volume 84, Issue 2, Pages 121-129Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2012.01051.x
Keywords
gamma-aminobutyric acid; beak trimming stress; chick; cytokine; immune response
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Funding
- earmarked fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System [CARS-41-K04]
- Science and Technology Achievements funds for National Agriculture [2009GB2D000218]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31072023]
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This experiment was undertaken to examine the effect of beak trimming stress on the growth performance and immune system, and to consider possible roles of -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in this stress response. Results showed that body weight, feed intake and relative spleen weight were significantly increased by GABA at 80mg/kg (P<0.05) under beak trimming stress, whereas the relative organ weights of the bursa of fabricius and thymus were not significantly affected (0.05). Adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration in serum was highest for chicks fed the GABA-deficient water and was significantly decreased by the supplement of GABA at days 1, 3 and 5 after beak trimming (P<0.05). The supplement of GABA significantly increased the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, especially at the dose of 60mg/kg (P<0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL)-1, lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor- and IL-6 in serum were significantly decreased by GABA at 80mg/kg (P<0.05). All the three cytokines expressed in the spleen were significantly decreased by GABA at 80mg/kg when birds were under beak trimming stress (P<0.05). It is concluded that beak trimming suppressed the immune response of chicks, whereas the immune response of chicks could be improved by GABA supplementation.
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