1. The immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D in chickens is dose-dependent and influenced by calcium and phosphorus levels
- Author
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Rodriguez-Lecompte, J C, Yitbarek, A, Cuperus, T, Echeverry, H, van Dijk, A., LS Moleculaire Afweer, dI&I I&I-3, LS Moleculaire Afweer, and dI&I I&I-3
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Chemokine ,animal structures ,medicine.medical_treatment ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Calcium ,Peripheral blood mononuclear cell ,Cathelicidin ,Avian Proteins ,Random Allocation ,03 medical and health sciences ,antimicrobial peptides ,cathelicidins ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Vitamin D and neurology ,Animals ,Bursa of Fabricius ,Vitamin D ,TLRs ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,biology ,Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ,0402 animal and dairy science ,Broiler ,Phosphorus ,Vitamins ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,Animal Feed ,040201 dairy & animal science ,Immunity, Innate ,cytokines ,Diet ,Calcium, Dietary ,030104 developmental biology ,Endocrinology ,Cytokine ,chemistry ,biology.protein ,Phosphorus, Dietary ,Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Chickens - Abstract
Vitamin D requirement is estimated to be higher than recommended values for the first two weeks of a broiler chicken's life, and is heavily dependent on the concentrations of Ca and P in the diet. There are data indicating the beneficial effect of higher vitamin D levels on performance and overall health of the chickens. However, data on the role of higher vitamin D levels on the innate immune reswponse of chickens are limited. Therefore, in the current study, we examined the effect of higher doses of vitamin D supplementation on the innate immune response in broiler chickens receiving optimal or calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) deficient diets. Three hundred Ross-308 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 60 cages with 5 birds per cage in a 3 × 2 factorial design with three levels of vitamin D and two levels of Ca/P with each experimental diet fed to 10 cages (10 replicates). Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (n = 5) was used to assess Toll-like receptor (TLR2b and 4), cytokine/chemokine (IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, IL-13, IL-18, CxCLi2) and cathelicidin (CATH1, CATHB1, CATH3) transcription levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), spleen, and bursa of Fabricius. Vitamin D supplementation of the Ca and P deficient diet considerably augmented transcription of TLR2b, TLR4, CATH1, and CATHB1 and predominantly Th2 cytokines in spleen. Supplementation of the control diet with vitamin D downregulated TLR4 transcription, and dose-dependently increased CATH1, CATHB1, Th1, and Th2 cytokine transcription (Th2>Th1). All diets downregulated CATH3 transcription. In conclusion, vitamin D or its derivative 25-OH-D3 both have a robust immunomodulatory property with a more favorable Th2 response, while at the same time enhancing observed Th2 cytokine responses under both optimal and lower Ca and P inclusion levels in the diets of broiler chickens.
- Published
- 2016