Expression of genes for interleukins, neuropeptides, growth hormone receptor, and leptin receptor in adipose tissue from growing broiler chickens

In this study, total RNA was collected from abdominal adipose tissue samples obtained from 10 broiler chickens at 3, 4, 5, and 6 wk of age and prepared for quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was used to examine the influence of age on the expression of the adipose tissue genes for IL-1β, −6, −10, −15, −18; brain-derived neurotropic factor; ciliary neurotropic factor; interferon γ, neuropeptide Y receptor Y1; neuropeptide Y; nucleobindin 2; growth hormone receptor; leptin receptor; and visfatin. Between 3 and 6 wk of age, leptin receptor expression decreased (P = 0.013) with age, whereas expression of IL-15 (P = 0.015) and growth hormone receptor (P = 0.002) increased. Furthermore, IL-18 (P < 0.001) and visfatin (P = 0.007) expression increased between 4 and 6 wk of age. This is a unique exhibition of age-related changes in cytokine gene expression in chicken adipose tissue. Future studies are needed to elucidate the role of adipose tissue cytokines in growth and, possibly, disease resistance.