Icariin Ameliorate Thiram-Induced Tibial Dyschondroplasia via Regulation of WNT4 and VEGF Expression in Broiler Chickens.

Hui Zhang,Muhammad Shahzad,Muhammad K Iqbal,Xiong Jiang,Lei Wang,Kun Li,Wangyuan Yao,Fazul Nabi,Mujeeb U Rehman,Khalid Mehmood,Jiakui Li,Shucheng Huang,Lihong Zhang,Xiaole Tong

doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00123

Abstract

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is main bone problem in fast growing poultry birds that effect proximal growth plate (GP) of tibia bone. TD is broadly defined as non-vascularized and non-mineralized, and enlarged GP with tibia bone deformation and lameness. Icariin (Epimedium sagittatum) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is commonly practiced in the treatment of various bone diseases. Recently, many researcher reports about the beneficial effects of icariin in relation to various types of bone conditions but no report is available about promoting effect of icariin against TD. Therefore, current study was conducted to explore the ameliorating effect of icariin in thiram-induced TD chickens. A total of 180 broiler chicks were equally distributed in three groups; control, TD induced by thiram (50 mg/kg), and icariin group (treated with icariin @10 mg/kg). All groups were administered with normal standard diet ad libitum regularly until the end of experiment. The wingless-type member 4 (WNT4) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes and proteins expression were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis respectively. Tibial bone parameters, physiological changes in serum, antioxidant enzymes, and chicken growth performance were determined to assess advantage and protective effect of the medicine in broiler chicken. The expression of WNT4 was decreased while VEGF increased significantly (P < 0.05) in TD affected chicks. TD enhanced the GP, lameness, and irregular chondrocytes, while reduced the liver function, antioxidant enzymes in liver, and performance of chickens. Icariin treatment up-regulated WNT4 and down-regulated VEGF gene and protein expressions significantly (P < 0.05), restored the GP width, increased growth performance, corrected liver functions and antioxidant enzymes levels in liver, and mitigated the lameness in broiler chickens. In conclusion, icariin administration recovered GP size, normalized performance and prevented lameness significantly. Therefore, icariin treatments are encouraged to reduce the incidence of TD in broiler chickens.

Highlights

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is commonly occurring leg problem in fast growing birds that disturbs the proximal growth plate (GP) of tibia bone in chickens
The visual assessment indicated that chickens were showing depression with poor body condition in weakness, lameness, and feeding difficulties in TD group
The continuous infusion of icariin caused a further decrease in signs of lameness, and almost all birds reverted to the control levels especially on day 18

Summary

Introduction

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is commonly occurring leg problem in fast growing birds that disturbs the proximal growth plate (GP) of tibia bone in chickens. Normal GP development entails cartilage vascularization and mineralization followed by osteogenesis. TD is characterized by tibial metaphyseal cartilage cell proliferation, non-vascular, non-mineralized, and white opaque mass in the GP (Li et al, 2008; Shahzad et al, 2014; Nabi et al, 2016a). TD occurred during the development of GP, and most of the cases appeared with unobvious symptoms at early stages. At later stages the tibia bone become fragile; cause tarsi bending, deformity, or tibial fractures (Rath et al, 2007; Tian et al, 2013). TD is the most common and abnormal bone disease, which reduces the yield and quality of meat in chickens, causes economic losses to poultry industry (Edwards, 2000; Li et al, 2008; Dan et al, 2009)

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