Constant light in early life induces fear-related behavior in chickens with suppressed melatonin secretion and disrupted hippocampal expression of clock- and BDNF-associated genes

Autor: Yang Yang, Wei Cong, Jie Liu, Mindie Zhao, Peirong Xu, Wanwan Han, Deyun Wang, Ruqian Zhao
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2049-1891
DOI: 10.1186/s40104-022-00720-4
Popis: Abstract Background Light management plays an important role in the growth and behavior of broiler chickens. Constant light in early post hatch stage has been a common practice in broiler industry for improving growth performance, while whether and how constant light in early life affects the behavior of broiler chickens is rarely reported. Results In this study, newly hatched chicks were kept in either constant (24 L:0 D, LL) or (12 L:12 D, LD) photoperiod for 7 d and then maintained in 12 L:12 D thereafter until 21 days of age. Constant light increased the average daily feed intake but not the body weight, which led to higher feed conversion ratio. Chickens in LL group exhibited fear-related behaviors, which was associated with higher corticosterone, lower melatonin and 5-HT levels. Concurrently, constant light exposure increased the mRNA expression of clock-related genes and suppressed the expression of antioxidative genes in the hippocampus. Moreover, brain derived neurotrophic factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (BDNF/ERK) pathway was suppressed in the hippocampus of chickens exposed to constant light in the first week post hatching. Conclusions These findings indicate that constant light exposure in early life suppress melatonin secretion and disrupts hippocampal expression of genes involved in circadian clock and BDNF/ERK pathway, thereby contributing to fear-related behaviors in the chicken.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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