Growth Performance and Right Ventricular Hypertrophy Responses of Broiler Chickens to Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation under Hypobaric Hypoxia

Abstract

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) has been shown to spare arginine (ARG) requirements in chickens. ARG plays a critical role in enhancing growth and preventing right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) in broiler chickens subjected to hypobaric hypoxia. However, ARG is not available as a feed grade supplement in the market. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of commercially available GAA supplement as an alternative on growth performance and RVH in broilers raised at high altitude (2100 m). Five graded levels of GAA ranging from 0 (control) to 2 g/kg were provided in isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets to broilers (Ross 308) from day 1 to 42, post-hatch. Results indicated that responses to GAA were nonlinear and attained plateau values within the studied range of GAA supply. While weight gain and feed intake were unaffected by GAA supply, feed conversion ratio was improved by GAA supplementation up to 1.5 g/kg. Similar trends were observed for the proportions in the liver and heart, as well as hematocrit. GAA supplementation at 1 and 1.5 g/kg resulted in reduced abdominal fat deposition as well as a decline in right-tototal ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV, an index of RVH). A significant (P＜0.05) increase in serum nitric oxide concentration was observed at 1 and 1.5 g/kg GAA supplementation. However, GAA supply led to lower serum malondialdehyde and uric acid levels than in the control. In conclusion, GAA supplementation up to 1.5 g/kg had the potential to improve growth performance and RVH response. Meanwhile, GAA supply beyond 1.5 g/kg could deteriorate these responses.

Combined effects of guanidinoacetic acid, coenzyme Q10 and taurine on growth performance, gene expression and ascites mortality in broiler chickens

“…It is worth noting that adding GAA beyond 1.5 g/kg reduced the growth performance of broilers so that the difference between 1.5 and 2.25 g/kg GAA groups was significant. This observation was in agreement with the finding of Ahmadipour, Zafari Naeini, et al (), who reported a curvilinear response to GAA. These authors, however, made no explanation on how high doses of GAA could reduce the growth performance.…”

“…An improvement in body weight gain and FCR by dietary GAA when supplemented at 1.5 g/kg was in line with Ahmadipour, Zafari Naeini, et al (). Growth efficiency improvements may account for regulating the phosphocreatine/creatine kinase (PCr‐CK) system by GAA.…”

“…Recently, attempts have been made to substitute GAA for ARG DeGroote, Braun, & Dilger, 2018). Ahmadipour, Zafari Naeini, Sharifi, and Khajali (2018) evaluated the response of broiler chickens to dietary GAA ranging from 0 to 2 g/kg. They found that the bird's response to GAA was curvilinear and tended to level off beyond 1.5 g/kg.…”

Securigera securidaca seed medicinal herb supplementation of diets improves pulmonary hypertensive response in broiler chickens reared at high altitude

“…One‐day‐old chicks were then allocated to pens (10 birds per pen with weighted 48.5 g on average) so that all pens had equal initial body weights (485 ± 10 g). The house temperature was set at 32 ± 1°C during Week 1, 25 ± 1°C for Week 2, 20 ± 1°C for Week 3 and 15 ± 1°C until the end of trial (42 days of age) as previously described (Ahmadipour et al, ). Birds were subjected to 23‐hr light and 1‐hr dark throughout the trial.…”

“…Factors that dilate the pulmonary vasculature and thereby lower the resistance (vasodilation) to blood flow can delay or inhibit the onset of pulmonary hypertension. Neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach; Odom et al, ), eicosanoids prostaglandin I2 (PGI 2 ), prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ; Stebel & Wideman, ), adrenomedullin (AM; Gomez, Moreno, Iglesias, Coral, & Hernandez, ), nitric oxide (NO; Ahmadipour, Zafari Naeini, Sharifi, & Khajali, ) and phenolic flavonoids compounds (Ahmadipour, Hassanpour, Asadi, et al, ). In broilers, ET‐1 elicits dose‐dependent constriction of pulmonary arteries that can be modulated by nitric oxide (Odom et al, ).…”