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Effect of glucocorticoids on gastrointestinal emptying in young broilers
1Departiment de Biologia i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
British Poultry Science
|September 1, 1989
Summary
Glucocorticoid treatment, specifically 17-hydroxycorticosterone, slowed gastrointestinal transit in young chickens. This effect, possibly due to precocious maturation, was less pronounced in older birds, except in the large intestine.
Area of Science:
- Animal physiology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Glucocorticoids play a role in avian development.
- Understanding the impact of glucocorticoids on the developing gastrointestinal tract is crucial for avian health and production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of 17-hydroxycorticosterone on gastrointestinal transit time in young chickens.
- To determine age-related differences in responsiveness to glucocorticoid-induced changes in GI motility.
Main Methods:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) emptying rates were measured in 8- and 15-day-old chickens using 14C-polyethylene glycol-4000 as a marker.
- Chickens were treated with 17-hydroxycorticosterone to assess its impact on GI transit.
Main Results:
- 17-hydroxycorticosterone significantly decreased the rate of gastrointestinal content progression in both 8- and 15-day-old chickens.
- In older (15-day-old) chickens, glucocorticoid treatment primarily delayed the transit of contents in the large intestine.
- These findings suggest a precocious maturation of the chick GI tract induced by glucocorticoids, with a loss of responsiveness occurring after the second week post-hatching, except in the large intestine.
Conclusions:
- Glucocorticoids, such as 17-hydroxycorticosterone, can alter gastrointestinal motility in developing chickens.
- Age-dependent changes in GI tract sensitivity to glucocorticoids exist, with the large intestine showing prolonged responsiveness.