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The Role of Nitric Oxide and Oxidative Stress in Intestinal Damage Induced by Selenium Deficiency in Chickens

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Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential messenger molecule and is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Although NO has important biological functions in mammals, its role in the mechanism that occurs after intestinal injuries in chickens remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to investigate the real role of NO and oxidative stress in the intestinal injuries of chickens induced by selenium (Se) deficiency. A total 150 chickens were randomly divided into the following two groups: a low-Se group (L group, fed a Se-deficient diet containing 0.020 mg/kg Se) and a control group (C group, fed a commercial diet containing 0.2 mg/kg Se). The activities and mRNA levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the production of glutathione (GSH) and NO, and the protein and mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were examined in the intestinal tissues (duodenum, jejunum, and rectum) at 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 days. Methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) levels were also detected by assay kits. Then, the morphologies of the tissues were observed under the microscope after hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E staining). The results showed that Se deficiency induced higher inflammatory damage and MDA levels (P < 0.05), which were accompanied by higher levels of iNOS and NO but lower levels of GSH and GSH-Px (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that Se deficiency induced oxidative damage in the intestinal tracts of chickens and that low levels of GSH-Px and high contents of NO may exert a major role in the injury of the intestinal tract induced by Se deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Graduate Innovation Research Fund of Heilongjiang (Grant No.YJSCX2012-027HLJ), the Major Projects of International Cooperation and Exchanges NSFC (31320103920), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31272626) and the Doctoral Fund of the Ministry of Education of China (20122325110018). The authors thank the members of the veterinary internal medicine laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University for their help in feeding the chickens and collecting the intestinal tissue samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, People’s Republic of China

    Jiao Yu, Haidong Yao, Xuejiao Gao, Ziwei Zhang & Shi-Wen Xu

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Jiao Yu & Jiu-Feng Wang

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  1. Jiao Yu
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  2. Haidong Yao
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  3. Xuejiao Gao
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  4. Ziwei Zhang
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  5. Jiu-Feng Wang
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Correspondence to Jiu-Feng Wang or Shi-Wen Xu.

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Yu, J., Yao, H., Gao, X. et al. The Role of Nitric Oxide and Oxidative Stress in Intestinal Damage Induced by Selenium Deficiency in Chickens. Biol Trace Elem Res 163, 144–153 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0164-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0164-8

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