Effect of Decreased Feed Intake on Serum and Pancreatic α-Amylase of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Removal of feed from 20-day-old broiler chicks for 24 hours caused serum and pancreatic alpha-amylase activities to increase almost twofold. A 24-hour feeding period following feed removal caused a reduction in serum alpha-amylase to basal levels and a sixfold reduction in pancreatic alpha-amylase activity. Serum alpha-amylase levels remained elevated after long-term feed restriction in adult broilers compared with levels in full-fed controls. Reduction in feed intake in chicks caused by coccidial infections also resulted in increased serum alpha-amylase. In all cases, the degree of change in serum alpha-amylase corresponded inversely to feed intake. It is proposed that the pancreas synthesizes a specific quantity of alpha-amylase, which does not change even under conditions of extended underconsumption of feed. The rate of alpha-amylase secretion is determined, at least indirectly, by the rate of carbohydrate metabolism, and the remainder of the enzyme is stored in the pancreatic cells. A small percentage of the stored enzyme diffuses into the blood and thus directly reflects increased secretion or accumulation of alpha-amylase in the pancreas in response to conditions of carbohydrate utilization.

Evaluation of the health of free‐ranging greater rheas (Rhea americana) in Argentina

“…Amylase is considered to be of poor diagnostic value in birds (Campbell 1994), and the reported values for captive rheas are higher than in the present study (ISIS 2004). In chickens, serum amylase has been related to carbohydrate metabolism and therefore might be affected by differences in recent food intake and/or parasitism (Rodeheaver and Wyatt 1984). The fact that no ALP was detectable was probably due to the breakdown of the enzyme during heat treatment of the plasma samples before they were sent to the USA for analysis, and the fact that all the enzyme activities were lower than those reported for other ratites may have been due to partial inactivation during this process.…”

Biology of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Poultry

“…For instance, pancreatic alpha amylase activity is increased in broiler chickens fasted for 24 hours (Rodeheaver and Wyatt, 1984). Re-feeding after fasting is associated with elevated digestive efficiency with increased intestine weight and duodenal maltase but no change in intestinal IgA (Fassbinder-Orth and Karasov, 2006).…”

The Need for Attention to Confirmation Bias and Confounding in the Field of Plastic Pollution and Wildlife Impacts: Comment on “Clinical Pathology of Plastic Ingestion in Marine Birds and Relationships with Blood Chemistry”

“…While elevated amylase is generally considered to be indicative of pancreatic necrosis, 39 amylase also increases with acute food deprivation in chickens. 40 Increased urea is indicative of dehydration 41 and/or protein catabolism and not necessarily kidney failure. 42 The authors mention that the cholesterol of shearwaters was higher and calcium lower than observed in other seabird species and attributed this to plastic.…”