Pathology of Bursae of Fabricius in Methionine-Deficient Broiler Chickens
Open Access
- 13 March 2013
- Vol. 5 (3), 877-886
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu5030877
Abstract
The purpose of this 42-day study was to investigate the effects of methionine (Met) deficiency on immune function by determining the relative weight, morphological and ultrastructural changes of bursae of Fabricius, cell cycle, and apoptosis of bursa cells. One hundred and twenty one-day-old avian broilers were randomly divided into two groups and fed on a control diet (starter diet, Met 0.50%; grower diet, Met 0.40%) and Met-deficient diet (starter diet, Met 0.26%; grower diet, Met 0.28%) for six weeks. The relative weight of bursae was decreased with Met deficiency when compared to that of the control group. Lesions were also observed in the Met-deficient group. Histopathologically, the numbers of lymphocytes in the follicles were decreased. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondria of lymphocytes were swollen in the Met-deficient group. As measured by flow cytometry, bursal cells in the G0G1 phase were significantly higher (P < 0.01), and bursal cells in the S, G2M phases and proliferating index were obviously lower (P < 0.01) with Met deficiency than in the control group. Moreover, the percentage of apoptotic cells in the bursae were significantly increased in Met-deficient birds (P < 0.01). It was concluded that Met deficiency restrained the development of the bursae of Fabricius and affected the humoral immunity of the chickens.This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Decrease of Relative Weight, Lesions, and Apoptosis of Bursa of Fabricius Induced by Excess Dietary Selenium in ChickensBiological Trace Element Research, 2009
- Excess methionine suppresses the methylation cycle and inhibits neural tube closure in mouse embryosFEBS Letters, 2006
- The atherogenic effect of excess methionine intakeProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2003
- Effects of methionine deficiencies on plasma levels of thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factors-I and -II, liver and body weights, and feed intake in growing chickensPoultry Science, 2003
- Pathology of the thymus, spleen and bursa of Fabricius in zinc-deficient ducklingsAvian Pathology, 2003
- Cell cycle and apoptosis: Common pathways to life and deathJournal of Cellular Biochemistry, 1995
- Cyclins, CDKs and cancerSeminars in Cancer Biology, 1995
- Effect of the variations of S-adenosyl--methionine liver content on fat accumulation and ethanol metabolism in ethanol-intoxicated ratsToxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 1986
- The Effect of Methionine Deficiency on Body Weight, Food and Energy Utilization in the ChickPoultry Science, 1975
- THE FUNCTIONS OF THE THYMUS SYSTEM AND THE BURSA SYSTEM IN THE CHICKENThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1966