title: Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces abdominal fat content by modulating lipid metabolism in broiler chickens.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of different levels of dietary L-arginine (L-Arg) supplementation on the abdominal fat pad, circulating lipids, hepatic fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expression, gene expression related to fatty acid β-oxidation, and the performance of broiler chickens. We tested whether the dietary L-Arg levels affected the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in order to reduce body fat deposition. A total of 192 broiler chickens (Cobb 500) aged 21 days with an average BW of 920 ± 15 g were randomly assigned to four groups (six broilers per replicate and eight replicates per treatment). The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the treatment groups were fed basal diets supplemented with 0.25%, 0.50%, or 1.00% L-Arg for 3 weeks. The average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed : gain ratio were not affected by the dietary L-Arg levels. However, chickens supplemented with L-Arg had lower abdominal fat content, plasma triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) concentrations, hepatic FAS mRNA expression and increased heart carnitine palmitoyl transferase1 (CPT1) and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (3HADH) mRNA expression. These findings suggest that the addition of 0.25% L-Arg may reduce the plasma TC concentration by decreasing hepatic 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase mRNA expression. This may lower the plasma TG and abdominal fat content by suppressing hepatic FAS mRNA expression and enhancing CPT1 and 3HADH (genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation) mRNA expression in the hearts of broiler chickens.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fouad
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: El-Senousey
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D015094:3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D001120:Arginine; D015094:3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases