Protective effects of selenium yeast against cadmium-induced necroptosis via inhibition of oxidative stress and MAPK pathway in chicken liver.

The aim of the study was to investigate the protective effects of selenium yeast (SeY) against necroptosis triggered by Cd via inhibition of oxidative stress and MAPK pathway in the liver of chicken. Two hundred 120-day-old layers were randomly divided into four groups and raised for 120 days. The histopathological examination showed that necrosis characteristics were observed in Cd-exposed chicken livers. The exposure of Cd significantly reduced the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT while improving MDA level in both serum and liver of chickens (P < 0.05), and induced oxidative stress. The MLKL, Rip1, RIP3, ERK, JNK and P38 mRNA expression of Cd group were significantly higher than other three groups (P ＜ 0.01), and those in the Se + Cd group were significantly higher than control group and Se group (P ＜ 0.01). However, the mRNA expression level of caspase8 of Cd was significantly lower than other three groups (P ＜ 0.01), and that in the Se + Cd group was significantly higher than control group and Se group (P ＜ 0.01), so the supplement of SeY could improve these situations. Similar results were also detected at the protein level. The results of the present study indicated that Cd could induce oxidative stress, activate MAPK pathway and evoke necroptosis damage in chicken livers, whereas SeY had protective effects in preventing this kind of Cd-induced injury by inhibition of oxidative stress and down-regulation MAPK pathway.