Developmental changes in mRNA expression in immune-associated cells of intestinal tract of broiler chickens after hatch and by dietary modification.

摘要

Developmental changes in the immune-related cells of the gut during the first 2 weeks post hatching were determined in broiler chickens fed a corn-soybean meal (CS) based diet, a semi-purified diet with high fat (HF) and a high carbohydrate (HC) diet. The expression of CD3 and interferon-gamma (IFN- gamma ) mRNA increased during 3-7 days of age. When the chicks were fed the CS diet, the expression of interleukin 2 mRNA in the foregut did not increase with age. The expression of iNOS mRNA was lowered at 3 days of age in the fore- and mid gut but the expression was constant at the other days of age. TLR-2 mRNA expression increased in three section of the gut during 3-7 days of age, while TLR-4 expression increased during 0-3 days of age. Chicks fed the HC diet showed higher interleukin 2 but lower IFN- gamma mRNA expression than birds fed the CS diet. Feeding the HF diet tended to decrease the expressions determined. These findings suggest that the functional maturation of the T cell does not always correlate with an increase in T cell numbers, maturation of innate immunity may occur earlier than that of T cells and possibly the dietary composition modifies the developmental pattern.