title: Effect of L-carnitine on proliferative response and mRNA expression of some of its associated factors in splenic mononuclear cells of male broiler chicks.
abstract: The effect of L-carnitine supplementation on mitogen (concanavalin A, Con A) induced proliferation of mononuclear cells (MNC) in the spleen was investigated in broiler chickens at different ages. Day-old chickens were fed a diet supplemented with or without L-carnitine (100 ppm) for 24 days. The carnitine-supplemented group showed greater proliferation of MNC in the spleen in response to Con A than that of the control group at 24 days of age. In addition, at 24 days of age the carnitine-supplemented group showed higher expression of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma mRNA, but lower expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the Con A-stimulated splenic MNC than the control group. The enhancement effect of L-carnitine on MNC proliferation and IL-2 mRNA expression was not found in chicks at 14 days of age. Addition of L-carnitine (50 nmol/mL) to the culture medium enhanced proliferation and IL-2 mRNA expression of splenic MNC obtained from 24-day-old but not from 14-day-old broiler chickens. The results suggest that L-carnitine is capable of enhancing MNC proliferation in broiler chickens at 24 days of age partly through increasing IL-2 and IFN-gamma production and decreasing NO production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, Japan. taka@bios.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003208:Concanavalin A; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002331:Carnitine