Abstract
The central melanocortin system is conserved across vertebrates. However, in birds, little is
known about how energy balance influences orexigenic agouti-related protein (AGRP) and
anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) expression, despite the fact that commercial food
restriction is critical to the efficient production of poultry meat. To enable contrasts to be made,
in broiler-breeder chickens, between levels of food restriction, between birds with the same
body weight but different feeding experience, and between birds moved from restricted feeding
to ad lib. feeding for different periods, five groups of hens were established between 6 and
12 weeks of age with different combinations of food restriction and release from restriction.
AGRP and neuropeptide Y expression in the basal hypothalamus was significantly increased by
chronic restriction but only AGRP mRNA levels reflected recent feeding experience: hens at the
same body weight that had recently been on ad lib. feeding showed lower expression than
restricted birds. AGRP expression also distinguished between hens released from restriction to
ad lib. feeding for different periods. By contrast, POMC and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated
transcript mRNA levels were not different. These results showed that AGRP mRNA not
only reflected differences between a bird’s weight and its potential weight or set point, but also
discriminated between differing feeding histories of birds at the same body weight. Therefore,
AGRP expression potentially provides an integrated measure of food intake experience and an
objective tool to assess a bird’s perception of satiety in feeding regimes for improved poultry
welfare.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 920 - 928 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Neuroendocrinology |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Print publication - Oct 2013 |
Bibliographical note
20484081023365
Keywords
- AGRP
- Broiler breeder
- Chronic food restriction
- Re-feeding