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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2012, Vol. 12 Issue (7): 1173-1180    DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8644
ANIMAL SCIENCE · VETERINARY SCIENCE Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of Central Administration of Glutamine and Alanine on Feed Intake and Hypothalamic Expression of Orexigenic and Anorexigenic Neuropetides in Broiler Chicks
 Khondowe Paul, WANG Song-bo, CHEN Sheng-feng, YU Jian-jian, ZHU Xiao-tong, WANG Li-na, GAO Ping, XI Qian-yun, ZHANG Yong-liang, SHU Gang,  JIANG Qing-yan
1.College of Animal Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, P.R.China
2.School of Natural Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
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摘要  Different amino acids have been shown to affect feed intake when injected directly into the central nervous system of birds. In the present study, we investigated the effects of L-glutamine and L-alanine on feed intake and the mRNA expression levels of hypothalamic neuropeptides involved in feed intake regulation in broiler chicks. L-Glutamine or Lalanine was intra-cerebroventricularly (ICV) administered to 4-d-old broiler chicks and the feed intake were recorded at various time points. Quantitative PCR was performed to determine the hypothalamic mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti related protein (AgRP), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). Our results showed that ICV administration of L-glutamine (0.55 or 5.5 μmol) significantly increased feed intake up to 2 h post-administration period and the hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression levels, while it markedly decreased hypothalamic POMC and CRF mRNA expression levels. In contrast, ICV administration of L-alanine (4 μmol) significantly decreased feed intake for the first 0.5 h post-administration period, and reduced the hypothalamic AgRP mRNA expression levels, while it remarkablely enhanced the mRNA expression levels of MC4R and CRF. These findings suggested that L-glutamine and L-alanine could act within the hypothalamus to influence feed intake in broiler chicks, and that both orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptide genes might contribute directly to these effects.

Abstract  Different amino acids have been shown to affect feed intake when injected directly into the central nervous system of birds. In the present study, we investigated the effects of L-glutamine and L-alanine on feed intake and the mRNA expression levels of hypothalamic neuropeptides involved in feed intake regulation in broiler chicks. L-Glutamine or Lalanine was intra-cerebroventricularly (ICV) administered to 4-d-old broiler chicks and the feed intake were recorded at various time points. Quantitative PCR was performed to determine the hypothalamic mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti related protein (AgRP), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). Our results showed that ICV administration of L-glutamine (0.55 or 5.5 μmol) significantly increased feed intake up to 2 h post-administration period and the hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression levels, while it markedly decreased hypothalamic POMC and CRF mRNA expression levels. In contrast, ICV administration of L-alanine (4 μmol) significantly decreased feed intake for the first 0.5 h post-administration period, and reduced the hypothalamic AgRP mRNA expression levels, while it remarkablely enhanced the mRNA expression levels of MC4R and CRF. These findings suggested that L-glutamine and L-alanine could act within the hypothalamus to influence feed intake in broiler chicks, and that both orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptide genes might contribute directly to these effects.
Keywords:  L-glutamine      L-alanine      intracerebroventricular (ICV)      feed intake      hypothalamus  
Received: 29 March 2011   Accepted:
Fund: 

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB941601), the Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (u0731004), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30871845, 30901058 and 30972157), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (9451064201003790 and 9151064201000056), the National Public Benefit (Agricultural) Research Foundation of China (201003011), and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20094404120012).

Corresponding Authors:  JIANG Qing-yan, Tel: +86-20-85284930, Fax: +86-20-85284901, E-mail: qyjiang@scau.edu.cn; SHU Gang, Tel: +86-20-85284901, Fax: +86-20- 85284901, E-mail: shugang@scau.edu.cn      E-mail:  qyjiang@scau.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Khondowe Paul, WANG Song-bo, CHEN Sheng-feng, YU Jian-jian, ZHU Xiao-tong, WANG Li-na, GAO Ping, XI Qian-yun, ZHANG Yong-liang, SHU Gang, JIANG Qing-yan . 2012. RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of Central Administration of Glutamine and Alanine on Feed Intake and Hypothalamic Expression of Orexigenic and Anorexigenic Neuropetides in Broiler Chicks. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(7): 1173-1180.

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