The role of vitamin C in the treatment of ascites induced by triiodothyronine (T3) in broilers

Abstract

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension syndrome (ascites syndrome) is considered as one of the basic problems in broiler chickens that have a high growth rate. Also, previous studies have shown that the amount of apoptosis increases in heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. In this study, for the first time, the effect of vitamin C on apoptosis was investigated by measuring the expression of caspase2 gene in the heart and lungs of broiler chickens suffering from pulmonary hypertension syndrome.

Materials & Methods: For this purpose, 90 one-day-old broiler chickens of Ross308 breed were divided into three groups of 30 pieces and bred for 49 days. Triiodothyronine (T3) hormone was used to induce pulmonary hypertension in chickens. After performing PCR for caspase2 and β-actin genes, the density of each of the bands was measured and compared in the form of caspase2/β-actin ratio in the studied groups.

Results: The amount of mRNA related to caspase2 gene at the ages of 21 and 49 days showed a significant decrease in the treatment group (1200 ppm vitamin C in the drinking water from the beginning of rearing) compared to the patient group (P<0.05). This significant difference indicates the reduction of apoptosis in the group that was treated with T3 hormone and then treated with vitamin C. Also, the ratio of the weight of the right ventricle to the total weight of both ventricles (RV/TV) as an index of the induction of this syndrome improved in the treatment group at the age of 49 days (P<0.0).

Conclusion: Finally, the present study showed that vitamin C can reduce the amount of apoptosis in broilers suffering from pulmonary hypertension.