Effect of heat stress on the hypothalamic expression profile of water homeostasis‐associated genes in low‐ and high‐water efficient chicken lines

Abstract With climate change, selection for water efficiency and heat resilience are vitally important. We undertook this study to determine the effect of chronic cyclic heat stress (HS) on the hypothalamic expression profile of water homeostasis‐associated markers in high (HWE)‐ and low (LWE)‐water efficient chicken lines. HS significantly elevated core body temperatures of both lines. However, the amplitude was higher by 0.5–1°C in HWE compared to their LWE counterparts. HWE line drank significantly less water than LWE during both thermoneutral (TN) and HS conditions, and HS increased water intake in both lines with pronounced magnitude in LWE birds. HWE had better feed conversion ratio (FCR), water conversion ratio (WCR), and water to feed intake ratio. At the molecular level, the overall hypothalamic expression of aquaporins (AQP8 and AQP12), arginine vasopressin (AVP) and its related receptor AVP2R, angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1), and calbindin 2 (CALB2) were significantly lower; however, CALB1 mRNA and AQP2 protein levels were higher in HWE compared to LWE line. Compared to TN conditions, HS exposure significantly increased mRNA abundances of AQPs (8, 12), AVPR1a, natriuretic peptide A (NPPA), angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE), CALB1 and 2, and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 and 4 (TRPV1 and TRPV4) as well as the protein levels of AQP2, however it decreased that of AQP4 gene expression. A significant line by environment interaction was observed in several hypothalamic genes. Heat stress significantly upregulated AQP2 and SCT at mRNA levels and AQP1 and AQP3 at both mRNA and protein levels, but it downregulated that of AQP4 protein only in LWE birds. In HWE broilers, however, HS upregulated the hypothalamic expression of renin (REN) and AVPR1b genes and AQP5 proteins, but it downregulated that of AQP3 protein. The hypothalamic expression of AQP (5, 7, 10, and 11) genes was increased by HS in both chicken lines. In summary, this is the first report showing improvement of growth performances in HWE birds. The hypothalamic expression of several genes was affected in a line‐ and/or environment‐dependent manner, revealing potential molecular signatures for water efficiency and/or heat tolerance in chickens.