title: Expression of growth genes in  response to glycerol use in Japanese quail diets.
abstract: Glycerol  can be used as a substitute for corn for feeding poultry, but there are  concerns about how it may affect growth performance and health of the birds. We  evaluated the expression of mRNA of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth  factor I (IGF-I) in 35-day-old Japanese quails fed different glycerol levels  (0, 4, and 8% dietary glycerol instead of corn). Total RNA was extracted from  the breast muscle and cDNA was amplified with the use of specific primers for  these genes using real-time PCR. Quails fed the diet with 8% glycerol  supplementation had significantly lower GH mRNA and IGF-I mRNA expression than  those fed no glycerol or 4% glycerol. No significant effect of the treatments  was found on quail weight gain or feed intake. Feed conversion ratio was  influenced by dietary glycerol levels: the group fed 8% glycerol displayed the  worst feed conversion ratio (2.54) compared with that of quail fed the control  diet (2.35) or 4% glycerol (2.36). Considering quail performance and the  expression of the genes GH and IGF-I, a level of 4% glycerol can be used in  quail feeding without any harmful effects.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil. egasparino@uem.br
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gasparino
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Oliveira Neto
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Del Vesco
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Voltolini
authors.forename: K R S
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003370:Coturnix / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005990:Glycerol