Effects of dietary T3 on growth parameters and hormone levels in normal and sex-linked dwarf chickens

Transcriptional profiling and pathway analysis reveal differences in pituitary gland function, morphology, and vascularization in chickens genetically selected for high or low body weight

Background

Though intensive genetic selection has led to extraordinary advances in growth rate and feed efficiency in production of meat-type chickens, endocrine processes controlling these traits are still poorly understood. The anterior pituitary gland is a central component of the neuroendocrine system and plays a key role in regulating important physiological processes that directly impact broiler production efficiency, though how differences in pituitary gland function contribute to various growth and body composition phenotypes is not fully understood.

Results

Global anterior pituitary gene expression was evaluated on post-hatch weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 in male broiler chickens selected for high (HG) or low (LG) growth. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed with gene ontology categorization, self-organizing maps, gene interaction network determination, and upstream regulator identification to uncover novel pituitary genes and pathways contributing to differences in growth and body composition. A total of 263 genes were differentially expressed between HG and LG anterior pituitary glands (P ≤ 0.05 for genetic line-by-age interaction or main effect of line; ≥1.6-fold difference between lines), including genes encoding four anterior pituitary hormones. Genes involved in signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and vesicle-mediated transport were differentially expressed and are predicted to influence expression and secretion of pituitary hormones. DEGs involved in immune regulation provide evidence that inflammation and response to cellular stressors may compromise pituitary function in LG birds, affecting their ability to adequately produce pituitary hormones. Many DEGs were also predicted to function in processes that regulate organ morphology and angiogenesis, suggesting pituitary gland structure differs between the divergently selected lines.

Conclusions

The large number of DEGs within the anterior pituitary gland of birds selected for high or low body weight highlights the importance of this gland in regulating economically important traits such as growth and body composition in broiler chickens. Intracellular signaling, transcriptional regulation, and membrane trafficking are important cellular processes contributing to proper hormone production and secretion. The data also suggest that pituitary function is intimately tied to structure, and organization of the gland could influence hypothalamic and systemic metabolic inputs and delivery of hormones regulating growth and metabolism into peripheral circulation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5670-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Internalization of the chicken growth hormone receptor complex and its effect on biological functions

In the chicken, as in mammals, GH is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a central role in growth differentiation and metabolism by altering gene expression in target cells. In the growing and adult chicken it stimulates gene expression of IGF-I and inhibits gene transcription of the type III deiodinating enzyme (D3) and by doing so also increases T(3) concentrations. GH binding to its receptor leads to internalization of the GH-GHR complex to the Golgi apparatus. This process is linked to the episodic release pattern of GH during growth. At the same time, a sharp decline of the expression of cGHR occurs at hatching. An in vitro study using a COS-7 cell line transfected with the cDNA of the chicken GHR, revealed that GHR immunofluorescence was found in the perinuclear region and on the plasma membrane. Following GH-induced internalization, GH and GHR were colocalized in endocytic and later in large lysosomal vesicles. Neither receptor nor ligand was transferred to the nucleus as confirmed by confocal laser microscopy. The JAK/STAT pathway however, as reported for mammalian GH receptors, mediated GH-induced gene transcription in chickens.

Regulation of chicken embryonic growth hormone secretion by corticosterone and triiodothyronine: evidence for a negative synergistic response

We reported that growth hormone (GH)-secreting cells differentiated by d 16 of chick embryonic development and that these somatotrophs were responsive to GH-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. The present experiments evaluated effects of corticosterone and triiodothyronine (T3) on embryonic GH secretion. Anterior pituitary cells from embryonic day (e) 16, e18, and e20 were subjected to reverse hemolytic plaque assays (RHPAs) for GH in the absence or presence of corticosterone or T3. Corticosterone increased GH secretion from embryonic somatotrophs, an effect particularly evident on e16 and e18. T3 decreased GH secretion on e16, while no effect of T3 was significant on e18 or e20. Next, pituitary cells were subjected to RHPAs with T3 and corticosterone alone or in combination. Combined treatment with these hormones suppressed GH secretion from e16, e18, and e20 somatotrophs to levels below those found under basal conditions. We conclude that corticosterone can stimulate GH secretion in vitro at all embryonic ages tested. Furthermore, T3 can suppress basal GH secretion on e16, and the combination of T3 and corticosterone can suppress GH secretion at all ages. These findings indicate that GH secretion during the end of chicken embryonic development may be regulated by the interactions of endogenous glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones that increase prior to hatching.

New insights into the mechanism and actions of growth hormone (GH) in poultry

Despite well documented anabolic effects of GH in mammals, a clear demonstration of such responses in domestic poultry is lacking. Recently, comprehensive dose-response studies of GH have been conducted in broilers during late post-hatch development (8 to 9 weeks of age). GH reduced feed intake (FI) and body weight gain in a dose-dependent manner, whereas birds pair-fed to the level of voluntary FI of GH-infused birds did not differ from controls. The reduction in voluntary FI may involve centrally mediated mechanisms, as hypothalamic neuropeptide Y protein and mRNA were reduced with GH, coincident with the maximal depression in FI. Growth of breast muscle was also reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Circulating IGF-I was not enhanced by GH, despite evidence that early events in the GH signaling pathway were intact. A GH dose-dependent increase in circulating 3,3',5-triiodothyronine(T3) paralleled decreases in hepatic 5D-III monodeiodinase activity, whereas 5'D-I activity was not altered. This confirms that a marked hyperthyroid response to GH occurs in late posthatch chickens, resulting from a decrease in the degradative pathway of T3 metabolism. This secondary hyperthyroidism would account for the decreased skeletal muscle mass (52) and lack of enhanced IGF-I (53) in GH-treated birds. Based upon these studies, it is now evident that GH does in fact have significant effects in poultry, but metabolic responses may confound the anabolic potential of the hormone.

The regulation of GH-dependent hormones and enzymes after feed restriction in dwarf and control chickens

The principal objective of this study was to examine the GH-dependency of IGF-I and IGF-II changes in the chicken. To this end, the regulation of GH-dependent hormones and enzymes were studied in undernourished normal and dwarf chickens. The dwarf chickens examined exhibit a Laron-type dwarfism and have been shown to be GH receptor deficient. Thus, they provide an interesting model to determine the GH-dependency of IGF-I and IGF-II changes. Short (1 day) and long-term (7 days) feed restriction was imposed on growing normal and dwarf chickens to follow the subsequent endocrine changes. Since short-term feed restriction of dwarf chickens resulted in decreased plasma IGF-I, it appears that this is not a GH-dependent effect. However, with longer term undernutrition, IGF-I was not decreased in dwarf chickens. So, after a longer restriction period, the regulation of these factors appears to become more GH-dependent. IGF-II was not depressed at all by feed restriction in the dwarf chicken, suggesting a degree of GH-dependency.

Cloning and sequence analysis of a cDNA for the beta subunit of chicken thyroid-stimulating hormone

The beta subunit of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSHbeta) has been isolated and sequenced in many species, including several mammals and the frog, but not in any avian species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to isolate and sequence a cDNA for chicken TSHbeta. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed, based on conserved regions of TSHbeta from four other species, and used for reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification of a cDNA fragment from total cellular RNA of pituitary glands from 7-day-old chicks. The remaining sequence was completed by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The predicted amino acid sequence was 70. 4% identical between bovine and chicken, 69.6% identical between chicken and rat, and 57.4% identical between chicken and frog. To test for tissue specificity of the cDNA, total cellular RNA samples from testicle, liver, pituitary, lung, and heart were analyzed by Northern blot. The 32P-labeled antisense riboprobe hybridized to an RNA species of approximately 600-700 bases in pituitary RNA alone, corresponding with the length of TSHbeta mRNA in other species. Gene expression in Day 1 posthatch chickens was then analyzed by ribonuclease protection assay. Anterior pituitary cells of Day 1 chickens were treated for 20 to 24 hr in serum-free medium alone or with medium containing either thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) (10(-8) M) or triiodothyronine (T3) (10(-9) M). The RNA was then harvested from these cells and hybridized with a 32P-labeled antisense riboprobe. Treatment with TRH had no effect on TSHbeta mRNA levels, while T3 significantly decreased (P < 0.05; n = 6 trials) TSHbeta mRNA levels by 45%. Taken together these results indicate that the cDNA sequence derived represents chicken TSHbeta mRNA, and that TSHbeta gene expression is downregulated by thyroid hormones as it is in mammals.

The use of intermittent lighting in broiler raising. 2. Effects on the somatotrophic and thyroid axes and on plasma testosterone levels

Male and female broiler chicks were raised separately in nearly continuous lighting [23 h light (L):1 h dark (D), CL] and consumed feed ad libitum. At 7 d of age, the intermittent lighting schedule (1L:3D, IL) was imposed on half of the chicks, whereas the other chicks remained under CL. In addition to performance characteristics, several parameters of the somatotrophic and thyrotrophic axes were studied together with plasma concentrations of testosterone. Males had a higher growth rate than females regardless of the imposed lighting schedule and this pronounced growth difference is reflected by higher plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH), and a better GH receptor occupancy. Differences in growth rate between sexes could not be attributed to differences in circulating 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) levels or to hepatic deiodination activities. However, from 3 wk of age onwards, males had significantly higher plasma testosterone levels than females. Plasma GH and T3 levels decreased whereas plasma insulin-like growth factor-I and thyroxine levels increased with age in all experimental groups. The age-related decline in plasma GH levels were less pronounced for males than for females. No major changes in other hormonal parameters or deiodination activities could be observed as a result of imposing IL, except for the higher plasma GH levels of IL chickens, and for plasma testosterone concentrations in IL males at Day 41, which were twice the levels found in their CL counterparts. These results therefore suggest that the somatotrophic axis as well as circulating testosterone levels mediate the sex-related differences in growth rate and the compensatory growth as present in males.

Increased sensitivity to triiodothyronine (T3) of broiler lines with a high susceptibility for ascites

1. In the studies reported here, broiler lines divergently selected for susceptibility to ascites under low temperature conditions were tested for their sensitivity to 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) with respect to growth rate, rate of mortality, plasma concentrations of T3, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and incidence of ascites. 2. Mean body weight of the ascites-susceptible line (BC-line) was higher than that of the ascites-resistant line (A-line). Adding 0.5 mg T3/kg of the diet depressed growth rate to the same extent in both lines. The effect of T3 on growth was more pronounced for males than for females. 3. T3-supplementation increased the relative weight of the heart and the incidence of RVH to the same extent in both lines. More of the T3-treated BC-line chickens had fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity than the T3-treated A-line chickens. 4. Dietary T3-treatment depressed the plasma concentration of growth hormone (GH) profoundly and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) slightly but to the same extent in both lines. The coefficient of variation of GH concentrations indicate that T3 treatment mainly decreased GH-pulsatility in young growing broilers. 5. Higher doses of dietary T3 (1 and 2 mg/kg) increased mortality in a dose-dependent manner. With 2 mg T3/kg, mortality in the BC-line was almost double that in the A-line. 6. These studies indicate that the development of ascites could be linked with thyroid function. Moreover, dietary T3 supplementation could be used to help identify ascites-inducing factors or genetic lines with differential sensitivity for ascites.

Pulsatility of plasma growth hormone and hepatic growth hormone receptor characteristics of broiler chickens divergently selected for abdominal fat content

1. Plasma growth hormone (GH) pulsatility and hepatic GH receptor characteristics were compared in experimental lines of meat-type chickens selected for high (HF) or low (LF) abdominal fat content. 2. Mean GH concentration, baseline and amplitude of pulses were slightly, but not significantly, greater in LF chickens. Length and frequency of pulses were similar. 3. LF chickens exhibited higher plasma triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations. This difference between genotypes disappeared when the diet was supplemented with 1 mg/kg T3. 4. Specific binding of GH to liver membranes was higher for the fat line but was depressed by T3 supplementation to the same level in both lines. No difference was observed between lines for affinity constants. 5. It is concluded that direct selection for leanness has a less pronounced, if any, effect on GH pulsatility as compared with selection for food conversion efficiency; therefore, different physiological mechanisms are triggered to achieve leanness.

Abnormal growth hormone receptor gene expression in the sex-linked dwarf chicken

Sex-linked dwarfism is a recessive mutation that causes a reduction in body weight gain and long bone growth of chickens. We examined the effect of the dwarfing gene on body weight, hepatic GH-binding activity, and the structure and expression of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene in two different lines of sex-linked dwarf (SLD) broiler chickens. Liver samples from one line of dwarf chicken were obtained from Arbor Acres Farm, Inc. (Glastonbury, CT) and fertile eggs from the second line of SLD were obtained from the University of Georgia. In the GA line, the average body weight of homozygous (dwdw) males at 11 weeks of age was 43% lower than that of normal (DwDw) males, while heterozygous (Dwdw) males were only 9% below normal. In the CT line, hepatic GH-binding activity of 35-week-old chickens was high (20% specific binding) in normal (DwDw) males and undetectable in liver membranes prepared from dwdw males. At 11 weeks of age, hepatic GH-binding activity of Dwdw males (3.9% specific binding) in the GA line was reduced by 44% and that of dwdw males was almost undetectable (0.34% specific binding) when compared to the average of normal GA males (7.1% specific binding). Southern and Northern blot analyses revealed different abnormalities in the GHR gene from the two separate lines of SLD. A restriction fragment length polymorphism in DNA and an aberrantly sized transcript (mRNA) were detected in the CT line of SLD chickens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of triiodothyronine supplementation on thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced growth hormone secretion in sex-linked dwarf and normal chicks

The effect of a dietary triiodothyronine (T3) supplement, of either 0.1 or 0.5 microgram/g of feed, was studied on the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-induced growth hormone (GH) secretion in sex-linked dwarf (dw) or normal (Dw) chicks of both sexes. In normal chicks, 0.1 microgram/g T3 decreased plasma GH levels before TRH as well as the GH increase after TRH, and 0.5 microgram/g T3 totally suppressed any response to TRH, either at 4 or at 7 weeks of age. Dwarf chicks were more sensitive to TRH than normals when receiving either 0 or 0.1 microgram/g T3; 0.5 microgram/g T3 abolished the difference between genotypes at 4 weeks of age but not so clearly at 7 weeks of age, where dwarf females showed a slight but still significant GH increase after TRH. Interactions between genotype, TRH injection, and T3 treatments were often significant at 4 weeks of age and even more at 7 weeks of age. Dwarf chicks receiving 0.1 microgram/g T3, expected to have normal plasma T3 levels, showed a higher GH response after TRH. This suggests that other hormones may be involved in the regulation of this response, particularly IGF-I, which is known to remain at a low level in T3-treated dwarf chicks.