Central Nervous System Associated With Light Perception and Physiological Responses of Birds

Kang, Seong Wook

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.723454

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 93 publications

(135 reference statements)

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“…For the first time, the avian VTA was suggested as an important area of the midbrain of birds involved in the light perception by melanopsin (Opn4, photoreceptor) and might be involved in the welfare of poultry (Kang, 2021). To evaluate the long-term effects of light intensity programs on the previously identified melanopsin (photoreceptor), the expression of Opn4 gene was determined at 14 and 42 days of age (Figure 8).…”

Section: Regulation Of Welfare Marker and Melanopsin Genes In The Ven...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies provide evidence that light can affect the central physiology of animals independent of the retinal function (Underwood et al, 1984;Wade et al, 1988;Fernandes et al, 2013). VTA was suggested as an important area of the midbrain involved in the light perception by melanopsin (Opn4, photoreceptor) and might be involved in the avian welfare (Kang, 2021). The result of long-term effects of light intensity programs on Opn4 expression at 42 days of age in the present study suggests that Opn4 in VTA may be involved in the direct perception of light intensity information for physiological adaptation of birds.…”

Section: Regulation Of Welfare-indicating Genes and Melanopsin (Opn4)...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Kang¹,

Christensen

Kidd³

et al. 2023

Front. Physiol.

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Our previous variable-light intensity lighting program studies indicate the light intensity preference behavior of broilers for their daily activity including eating and resting. To evaluate the effects of variable-light intensity lighting program on performance and welfare of broilers, four commercial trials were conducted for looking at behaviors, mortality, leg-health, performance, and brain welfare indicator genes including tryptophan hydroxylase 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), and melanopsin (Opn4) gene expression. One-day-old broilers were housed in four commercial broiler houses. Each quadrant (section) of the house was placed with 4,800 chicks. A total of four lighting programs began on day 7 with 5 lux (lx), 20 lx, natural light (NL, 480 lx), and variable light (2–5/40 lx) using LED lights on a 16L:8D photoperiod. In the variable-light house, the number of dustbathing holes was significantly higher than that in natural-light houses and 5-lx and 20-lx houses. Daily physical activities, footpad condition, fear response to novel objects, body weight, feed conversion ratio, and the number of leg-problem induced culled birds were affected by the variable-light intensity lighting program. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 in the DRN and VTA of variable-light treated birds was lower than that of 5-lx- and 20-lx-treated birds on day 42 (p < 0.05). Higher expression of VTA-TH in 5-lx-treated birds than that in 20-lx-, NL-, and variable-light-treated birds suggests the high stress-susceptibility of 5-lx treated birds. Lower VTA-GR expression in 20-lx- and variable-light-treated birds indicates lower stress than that in NL- and 5-lx-treated birds (p < 0.05). The VTA-BDNF expression of NL-treated birds was 2.5 fold higher than that of 5-lx-, 20-lx-, and variable-light-treated birds (p < 0.05), and variable-light-treated birds showed the lowest level of BDNF expression (p < 0.05), suggesting the chronic social defeat stress in NL-treated birds. The result of VTA-Opn4 expression on day 42 suggests the possible role of VTA-Opn4 in broiler welfare through central light perception. Taken together, the variable-light intensity lighting program increased volunteer natural behaviors and physical activity, which may improve footpad condition and leg health of birds, consequently. Performance data including the increased daily weight gain and the lowered feed conversion ratio and results of brain welfare indicator gene expression showed the beneficial effect of the variable-light intensity lighting program on the performance and welfare of commercial broilers.

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Section: Regulation Of Welfare Marker and Melanopsin Genes In The Ven...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regulation Of Welfare-indicating Genes and Melanopsin (Opn4)...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Kang¹,

Christensen

Kidd³

et al. 2023

Front. Physiol.

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“…In the evolutionary plan, significant changes have occurred, particularly in the structure of integrating organs. In birds, the nervous system reaches a significantly high degree of development and differentiation (Kang, 2021). Representatives of the bird class have several biological features: the development of the embryo outside the mother's body, physiological precociousness, rapid growth, high body temperature (+40-42 °С), the peculiarity of the structure of the skin and its derivatives.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specific features of the morphology of the spinal nodes of homeothermal vertebrate animals in the comparative and anatomical series

Horalskyi

Sokulskyi

Kolesnik

et al. 2023

Ukr. Jour. of Vet. and Agr. Sci.

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Scientific studies that reflect the evolutionary morphology of the nervous system, namely the spinal nodes of homoeothermic vertebrates, allow us to identify specific patterns, trends, and criteria that relate to the structural organization of the organ at the population and cellular levels of their organization. The evolutionary direction of research into the macro- and microstructure of spinal cord nodes provides an opportunity to investigate the patterns of formation of optimal relationships of their structural components: nerve and glial cells, capillaries concerning the level of development of the organism, and their motor activity. The article contains the results of the morphometric characteristics of the spinal nodes of warm-blooded vertebrates in a comparative aspect: class Aves – Birds (Gallus gallus, forma domestica L., 1758 – domestic chicken); class Mammalia – Mammals (Oryctolagus cuniculus L., 1758 – European krill, Canis lupus familiaris L., 1758 – domestic dog, Sus scrofa, forma domestica L., 1758 – domestic pig, Bos taurus taurus L., 1758 – domestic bull). When performing this work, complex research methods were used: anatomical, neurohistological, morphometric, and statistical. The morphological study of the structural components of the organs of the nervous system was studied on histological sections by the method of light microscopy following the requirements of the international principles of the “European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used in Experiments and for Other Scientific Purposes” (Strasbourg, 1986), a decision of the First National Congress on Bioethics (Kyiv, 2001), Law of Ukraine No. 692 “On the Protection of Animals from Cruel Treatment” (3447-IV) dated February 21, 2006. For histological examination, the newly selected material was immediately fixed in a 10% aqueous neutral formalin solution, with a fixation period of 30 days, followed by step-by-step embedding in paraffin. Using a sled microtome, histological sections with a thickness of 6–10 μm were obtained. The general histological structure and microstructural changes in histological preparations were studied under a light microscope MC (Micros Austria) at magnifications from 70 to 600 times. Photomicrographs of histological preparations were carried out using a CAM V200 video camera mounted in a Micros MC microscope. The work aims to conduct a complex morpho-functional study of spinal nodes in a comparative anatomical series of representatives of higher vertebrates. It was investigated that in phylogenesis, a particular structural and morphofunctional rearrangement of the central and peripheral nervous system organs, namely the spinal nodes, takes place. They differ in shape and size. It was established that the neurocytic organization of the spinal cord nodes of all species of animals studied is characterized by the presence of large, medium, and small nerve cells. Adaptation to various living conditions of animals was formed based on morphometric indicators (the volume of neurocytes and their nuclei), their morphological structures, the density of nerve cells per 0.1 mm2, the number of glial cells per 0.1 mm2, an indicator of nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, degree of polymorphism chromatophilia. Nissl staining of histopreparations of spinal nodes of homoothermic animals showed that the neuroplasm of nerve cells contains well-defined depths of basophilic substance, compared with lower animals, as evidence of a higher degree of development in nerve cells of the protein-synthesizing apparatus. According to the method of impregnation of spinal cord nodes with silver nitrate in all studied animals, a different intensity of coloring of nerve cells is revealed: dark, light-dark, light, which is related to the peculiarities of species and age neuromorphology, the morphofunctional state of the nervous system and the type of higher nervous activity. The obtained morpho-functional features of the organs of the nervous system are essential not only for evolutionary and comparative morphology but also for developing issues of physiology, pathology, and treatment of peripheral nervous system diseases.

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“…VTA-GR is well known for regulating the stress and reward system regulating feeding behavior [22,23]. In recent studies of broiler chickens, avian VTA was suggested as the important region, consisting of a variety of neurons of the avian midbrain, that is involved in light perception by Opn4 (melanopsin) and might be involved in broilers' welfare [10,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Environmental Enrichments on Welfare and Hepatic Metabolic Regulation of Broiler Chickens

Kang,

Christensen,

Jr.

et al. 2024

Animals

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The aims of this study were to find suitable environmental enrichment (EE) and evaluate the combined effect of two EEs, variable light intensity (VL) lighting program and EH, on mental health and hepatic metabolic regulation in commercial broilers. To find the advantageous EEs for broilers, three different EEs (board, hut, and ramp) were tested in trial 1. EEs were placed and the engagement of birds to EEs, dustbathing behavior, and daily physical activity were observed. Birds treated with huts showed higher engagement than the board- or ramp-treated birds (p < 0.05). The results of dustbathing behavior and daily physical activity indicated that the environmental hut (EH) is the most favorable enrichment for broilers. In the second trial, to test the effect of EHs on mental health and hepatic metabolic conditions, the brain and liver were sampled from the four treatment birds (20 lx_Con, 20 lx_Hut, VL_Con and VL_Hut) on day 42. The lower expression of TPH2 (tryptophan hydroxylase 2) of VL_Hut birds than those of VL_Con and 20 lx_Hut treated birds suggests the combining effect of EHs with the VL lighting program on the central serotonergic homeostasis of broilers. Reduced expressions of TH (tyrosine hydroxylase), GR (glucocorticoid receptor), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) of VL_Hut treated birds compared to those of VL_Con and 20 lx_Hut birds suggest lower stress, stress susceptibility, and chronic social stress in VL_Hut treated birds. The expression of CPT1A (carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1) increased over three-fold in the liver of VL_Con birds compared to 20 lx_Con birds (p < 0.05). EHs treatment in VL birds (VL_Hut) significantly decreased CPT1A but not in 20 lx birds (20 lx_Hut). The expression of ACCα (acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha) was significantly decreased in VL_Con birds compared to 20 lx_Con birds. There was no significant difference in the hepatic FBPase (fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase), GR, and 11β-HSD1 (11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenease-1) expression between 20 lx_Con and VL_Con birds, but EHs significantly stimulated GR in 20 lx_Hut birds, and stimulated FBPase and 11β-HSD1 expression in the VL_Hut birds compared to 20 lx_Con birds, suggesting that the VL lighting program reduced fatty acid synthesis and increased fatty acid β-oxidation in the broilers’ liver and VL_Hut improved the hepatic de novo glucose production. Taken together, the results suggest that the stimulated voluntary activity by EHs in the light-enriched broiler house improved mental health and hepatic metabolic function of broilers and may indicate that the improved hepatic metabolic function contributes to efficient nutritional support for broilers.

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Central Nervous System Associated With Light Perception and Physiological Responses of Birds

Cited by 4 publications

References 93 publications

Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Effects of a variable light intensity lighting program on the welfare and performance of commercial broiler chickens

Specific features of the morphology of the spinal nodes of homeothermal vertebrate animals in the comparative and anatomical series

Effects of Environmental Enrichments on Welfare and Hepatic Metabolic Regulation of Broiler Chickens

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