Title
The immunomodulatory effect of Vitamin D in chickens is dose-dependent and influenced by calcium and phosphorus levels
Date Issued
01 November 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of Prince Edward Island
Publisher(s)
Oxford University Press
Abstract
Vitamin D requirement is estimated to be higher than recommended values for the first two weeks of a broiler chicken's life, and is heavily dependent on the concentrations of Ca and P in the diet. There are data indicating the beneficial effect of higher vitamin D levels on performance and overall health of the chickens. However, data on the role of higher vitamin D levels on the innate immune response of chickens are limited. Therefore, in the current study, we examined the effect of higher doses of vitamin D supplementation on the innate immune response in broiler chickens receiving optimal or calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) deficient diets. Three hundred Ross-308 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into 60 cages with 5 birds per cage in a 3 × 2 factorial design with three levels of vitamin D and two levels of Ca/P with each experimental diet fed to 10 cages (10 replicates). Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (n = 5) was used to assess Toll-like receptor (TLR2b and 4), cytokine/chemokine (IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, IL-13, IL-18, CxCLi2) and cathelicidin (CATH1, CATHB1, CATH3) transcription levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), spleen, and bursa of Fabricius. Vitamin D supplementation of the Ca and P deficient diet considerably augmented transcription of TLR2b, TLR4, CATH1, and CATHB1 and predominantly Th2 cytokines in spleen. Supplementation of the control diet with vitamin D downregulated TLR4 transcription, and dose-dependently increased CATH1, CATHB1, Th1, and Th2 cytokine transcription (Th2>Th1). All diets downregulated CATH3 transcription. In conclusion, vitamin D or its derivative 25-OH-D3 both have a robust immunomodulatory property with a more favorable Th2 response, while at the same time enhancing observed Th2 cytokine responses under both optimal and lower Ca and P inclusion levels in the diets of broiler chickens.
Start page
2547
End page
2556
Volume
95
Issue
11
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Inmunología
Crías y mascotas
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84994684077
PubMed ID
Source
Poultry Science
ISSN of the container
00325791
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus