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Effects of Heat-Induced Oxidative Stress and Astaxanthin on the NF-kB, NFE2L2 and PPARα Transcription Factors and Cytoprotective Capacity in the Thymus of Broilers

Authors :
Donna Lee Kuehu
Yuanyuan Fu
Masaki Nasu
Hua Yang
Vedbar S. Khadka
Youping Deng
Source :
Current Issues in Molecular Biology, Vol 46, Iss 8, Pp 9215-9233 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

The thymus, a central lymphoid organ in animals, serves as the site for T cell development, differentiation and maturation, vital to adaptive immunity. The thymus is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis to protect against tumors and tissue damage. An overactive or prolonged immune response can lead to oxidative stress from increased production of reactive oxygen species. Heat stress induces oxidative stress and overwhelms the natural antioxidant defense mechanisms. This study’s objectives were to investigate the protective properties of astaxanthin against heat-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in the chicken thymus, by comparing the growth performance and gene signaling pathways among three groups: thermal neutral, heat stress, and heat stress with astaxanthin. The thermal neutral temperature was 21–22 °C, and the heat stress temperature was 32–35 °C. Both heat stress groups experienced reduced growth performance, while the astaxanthin-treated group showed a slightly lesser decline. The inflammatory response and antioxidant defense system were activated by the upregulation of the NF-kB, NFE2L2, PPARα, cytoprotective capacity, and apoptotic gene pathways during heat stress compared to the thermal neutral group. However, expression levels showed no significant differences between the thermal neutral and heat stress with antioxidant groups, suggesting that astaxanthin may mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress damage.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14673045 and 14673037
Volume :
46
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Current Issues in Molecular Biology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0050ab48368b47eb8fff14ce6dfc3439
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46080544