Systemic infusion of exogenous ghrelin in male broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). The effect of pulse frequency, doses, and ghrelin forms on feed intake, average daily gain, corticosterone, and growth hormone concentrations.

There is limited information on the effect of exogenous ghrelin infusion on feed intake (FI) in chickens. Therefore, male broilers were used in 3 factorial experiments to determine the relationships between doses (0, 1, or 4 nM; Dose), frequency (once every two h; 2 h), once every 4th h (4 h) or continuous infusion, and ghrelin forms including acylated-ghrelin (AG) and desacylated-ghrelin (DAG) on FI, ADG, and concentrations of corticosterone and Growth Hormone (GH). Treatments were delivered via a jugular cannula, using programmable pumps for 11 consecutive days. FI and ADG were recorded, and plasma was collected. Data were analyzed using a factorial design. In Experiment 1 the effect of AG pulse frequency and doses were evaluated. There was a linear decrease in FI (P = 0.002) and a linear increase in corticosterone (P = 0.033) and GH (P = 0.011) concentrations when AG was infused. However, ADG decreased with doses (P = 0.011) only when AG was given at 2 h. In Experiment 2 the effect of ghrelin forms and doses given at 2 h was evaluated. There was a linear decrease in FI when AG was infused and a linear increase in FI when DAG was infused (P < 0.05). Birds infused with DAG gained more weight than those infused with AG. There was a linear increase in corticosterone and GH concentrations only when AG was infused (P < 0.01). In Experiment 3 the effect of continuous infusion of 2 doses (0 and 1 nM) of AG and DAG were evaluated. There was a linear decrease in FI and ADG when AG (P < 0.001) was infused and a linear increase in FI and ADG when DAG was infused (P < 0.05). There was an increase in corticosterone concentrations only when AG was infused (P = 0.022). However, GH concentrations were not affected by treatments. We concluded that AG and DAG pulse frequency and doses had a differential effect on FI, ADG, corticosterone, and GH concentrations in broiler chickens.