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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Possible use of an indicator muscle in future breeding experiments in domestic fowl.

Domestic fowl were chosen for different body weights in descending order of size, viz. Tetra, Rhode Island Red/Light Sussex cross, White Leghorn and Bantam. The numbers and sizes of fibres in various muscles were determined by quantitative histology, and fibre number was also estimated by DNA measurement. In contrast to the situation in mammals, fibre size (diameter) was of greater importance than fibre number in determining muscle size. Biochemical measurement of DNA content in a muscle was not a reliable estimate of cell number without histological verification. It is suggested that the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle could be used as an indicator muscle in future selective breeding programmes for fibre number because of its fibre arrangement and accessibility.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Hypersensitivity to mineral oil in the domestic fowl.

Domestic fowl were found to be hypersensitive to a second injection of highly purified mineral oil if they had been primed 3 weeks previously with oil in the presence of mycobacteria. This response did not appear to be related to impurities originally present in the oil or introduced into it during sterilization, and did not follow priming with mycobacteria in vegetable oil or in saline. The reaction at the challenge site was prolonged and developed a characteristic histology identical to that found at the priming site. It is postualted that the hypersensitivity seen has an immunological basis and that birds are able to respond to antigenic determinants formed by long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Contributions of glomerular and tubular mechanisms to antidiuresis in conscious domestic fowl.

Recently developed radioimmunoassay (RIA techniques were employed in a quantitative investigation of the renal actions of the avian antidiuretic hormone arginine vasotocin (AVT) in the conscious domestic fowl. Constant intravenous infusion of AVT at doses of 0.125-1.00 ng . kg-1 . min-1 was used to produce plasma AVT (PAVT) concentrations (verified by RIA) over the entire range of physiological PAVT levels in the domestic fowl. Comparison of the dose-response relationships between PAVT and glomerular and tubular mechanisms of antidiuresis revealed that tubular mechanisms are of primary importance and glomerular mechanisms of secondary importance in the conservation of water by the avian kidney. The greatest proportion of the total AVT-induced reduction in renal water excretion occurred at low physiological PAVT levels (less than 5 microU/ml), prior to any significant reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and appeared to be the exclusive result of tubular mechanisms of antidiuresis. At high PAVT levels (5-16 microU/ml), glomerular and tubular mechanisms overlapped, and their effects on water conservation could not be separated. Although GFR was reduced by nearly 30% at the highest dose of AVT, only minor additional amounts of water were conserved by the combined actions of glomerular and tubular mechanisms. The glomerular mechanisms appear to have only a minor secondary effect on water-conserving ability of the avian kidney.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of operant behaviour and autonomic thermoregulation in the domestic fowl.

1. Domestic fowls were trained to peck a disc in order to receive a limited thermal reinforcement. 2. When subsequently tested, their use of the operant response was a function of ambient temperature, decreasing from 0 to 24 degrees C and rising again steeply from 28 to 42 degrees C. 3. Under cool conditions changes in rate of heat production were of major significance in maintaining homeothermy, whilst in the heat the operant response was used in preference to, or in addition to, thermal panting. 4. Data from the behavioural studies, together with those on autonomic effector mechanisms, indicate that optimal thermal conditions for the fowl are likely to be attained at 22 to 24 degrees C.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Angiotensin II binding sites in aortic endothelium of domestic fowl.

In domestic fowl, angiotensin II (ANG II) produces a unique vasodepressor response in vivo and endothelium-dependent relaxation of aortic rings in vitro that appear to be a direct effect on vascular smooth muscle mediated through vascular angiotensin receptors. To explore the possible role of the endothelium in ANG II-induced vasodilation, ANG II binding to aortic membrane fractions and intact endothelium and prostaglandin (PG) production were examined in fowl aortas. 125I-[Ile5]ANG II binding by endothelium-intact aortic membrane fractions was consistently higher than binding by identically prepared endothelium-deleted membrane fractions at virtually all concentrations of ligand (10 pM-0.20 microM). Incubation of intact aortic rings with 125I-[Ile5]ANG II (0.50 nM) resulted in specific endothelial binding that increased linearly with time from 5.5 +/- 1.7 (SE) fmol/mg protein at 5 min to 13.7 +/- 1.8 at 30 min. Endothelial ANG II binding increased linearly with the dose of ligand, from 2.7 +/- 0.3 fmol/mg protein at 0.1 nM to 21.0 +/- 2.2 at 1.0 nM. Specific ANG II binding to aortic endothelium was competitively displaced 73 +/- 11% by unlabeled ANG II (0.1 microM) but not by bradykinin (0.1 microM). Incubation of intact aortic rings with [14C]arachidonic acid resulted in the formation of radioactive metabolites that comigrated in thin-layer chromatography with authentic PGE2 but not with 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. PGE2 production by aortic rings (44.4 +/- 4.5 ng.mg dry tissue-1.h-1) was not stimulated by addition of ANG II. These results suggest that specific receptors for ANG II exist in fowl aortic endothelium and that PGs are not involved in ANG II-induced vasodilation of the fowl aorta.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed2004

Effects of estrogens during embryonal development on crowing in the domestic fowl.

In the domestic fowl, crowing is typically a male-specific vocal behavior while the females normally do not crow. These sex differences in vocalization may result from organizational actions of estrogens during specific periods of embryonic development. To further investigate the role of estrogens in differentiation of crowing and development of the acoustic characteristics of crow calls, male domestic fowls were treated on Incubation Day 8 with estradiol benzoate (EB) or either oil or saline vehicles. On the same incubation day, the female fowls were treated with an aromatase inhibitor, fadrozole, or saline vehicle. An adulthood vocalization of cocks and hens was recorded during corresponding tests of sexual behavior. The exposure to EB or fadrozole had no effect on sexual differentiation of the gonads and all fadrozole-treated hens laid eggs at a rate similar to the control hens that received saline. While the levels of plasma testosterone at adulthood did not differ in treated and untreated cocks, the incidence of crowing rate was significantly lower in cocks that were exposed to estradiol. Acoustic analysis revealed a considerable reduction in duration and acoustic energy of calls while the main frequency characteristics were not changed. Four out of the seven tested fadrozole-treated hens demonstrated regularly crow-like vocalization with shorter duration and lower energy of calls in comparison to crows of the control males. These findings point out to a role for estradiol in organization of crowing behavior and a specific temporal pattern of the crowing call.

Androgens↗
PubMed1985

Loss of sensitivity to ACTH of adrenocortical cells isolated from maturing domestic fowl.

Maturation of domestic fowl corticosteroidogenesis was evaluated using purified adrenocortical cells. Basal corticosterone production decreased steadily from 2 days to 26 weeks after hatching. However, maximally stimulated corticosterone production was not changed. In contrast, the half-maximal steroidogenic concentrations (ED50 values or effective doses for 50% maximal effect) of ACTH analogs increased approximately 40 times by 26 weeks, but the ED50 values of 8-bromo-cyclic AMP and pregnenolone were not changed. This suggests that adrenocortical cell sensitivity to ACTH decreases with maturation of the domestic fowl.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1992

Morphine hyperalgesic effects on developmental changes in thermal nociception and respiration in domestic fowl (Gallus gallus).

Domestic fowl tested at 3, 5, and 7 days posthatch jumped from a heated grid more rapidly than animals tested at 14 days posthatch. Morphine (2.5 mg/kg) decreased jump latency in 14-day-old chicks but did not significantly affect jump latency in younger chicks. Respiration was lower in 3-day-old chicks than in the older groups but morphine depressed respiration at each age. In a second experiment morphine significantly decreased jump response latency in 5-day-old chicks when thermal stimulus intensity was lowered and morphine dose increased (5 mg/kg). Posttest respiration rate was depressed by morphine. Morphine hyperalgesia and respiratory depression were reversed by naloxone (5 mg/kg). However, naloxone alone increased jump response latency. Young domestic fowl are more sensitive and/or reactive to a noxious thermal stimulus and are less sensitive to morphine than 14-day-old chicks but morphine hyperalgesia was evident in both 5- and 14-day-old chicks. These hyperalgesic chicks may be tolerant at birth to morphine hypoalgesic effects on nociception.

Aging↗
PubMed1984

Failure of castration to prevent the prepubescent decline in the circulating concentration of growth hormone in the domestic fowl.

In the domestic fowl, plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH) have been observed to be elevated in young, rapidly growing chicks and low in older chicks and in adults. In this present study the plasma concentration of GH was high in 35-day-old male chickens and declined to the low adult concentration by 91 days of age. This decrease was observed in male chickens irrespective of whether they remained intact, were castrated at 35 days of age, or were castrated and implanted with testosterone. The plasma concentrations of GH in castrated birds were lower than those in the controls at 49 and 63 days of age. As would be expected, the plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) were elevated by castration while testosterone implantation reduced the castration-induced rise in LH concentrations. Castration was followed by very low but detectable plasma concentrations of androgen. These were increased by testosterone implants.

Aging↗
PubMed1969

Organ-specific estrogen-induced RNA synthesis resolved by DNA-RNA hybridization in the domestic fowl.

In the domestic fowl and other oviparous vertebrates, estrogens induce hepatic synthesis of yolk proteins. The oviduct also increases in size and produces ovalbumin when estrogens are administered. DNA-RNA hybridization assays indicate that within 105 minutes following treatment with estrone the liver of immature pullets contains most, if not all, of the liver RNA species that are present in the livers of the laying hen. Because of limitations of the nucleic acid hybridization technique, which remain to be clearly defined, it is not known whether the hepatic RNA populations in estrone-treated pullets and laying hens are completely homologous or differ in some important way. The results indicate that the genomic response in the avian liver to exogenous estrone is "normal" (relative to the laying hen) and further suggest that the hepatic response to estrogen is primarily pertinent to vitellinogenesis.DNA-RNA hybridization assays on total RNA also indicate that estrogen-induced RNA species in the liver are not homologous to estrogen-evoked RNA species of the oviduct. Therefore, in these two target organs estrogen-evoked RNA synthesis appears to be in part organ-specific. These data indicate that the specificity of hormone action can be explained in part on the basis of induced synthesis of specific RNA molecules. Whether these alterations in transcription are due to indirect hormonal action or are the result of a primary action of estrogens or estrogen-binding site complexes on the genome and/or its repressors remains a basic question.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Methyl mercury decreases the eggshell thickness and inhibits the Ca2+ uptake in a homogenate of the eggshell gland mucosa and its subcellular fractions from the domestic fowl.

In the domestic fowl 20 mg of methyl mercuric chloride (MeHg) in a single oral dose given a day before egg-laying reduced the eggshell index by 35% and decreased the Ca content of the eggshell by 31% compared with those in the eggs laid on the previous days. The plasma concentration of Ca was reduced by MeHg by 50% in comparison with controls. The Ca concentration in the shell gland mucosa was not decreased by MeHg in relation to the control value. The rate of ATP-dependent Ca2+ binding by the homogenate of the mucosa was reduced by 33% by MeHg in relation to the control rate. The activity of Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase was not changed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1972

Effects of exteriorization of the ureters on the water metabolism of the domestic fowl.

1. Six domestic fowls were operated for exteriorization of the ureters.2. Three weeks after the operation their food and water intake was compared with that of six unoperated control fowls of similar weight.3. Water intake was calculated from the amount of water drunk, the metabolic water and the water content of the food eaten; while water loss was estimated from the water content of urine and faeces excreted and from evaporation.4. Fowls with exteriorized ureters drank more than the control birds. The excess of water drunk by these birds approximated the amount of water lost in the urine.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Involvement of melatonin and thyroid hormones in the control of sleep, food intake and energy metabolism in the domestic fowl.

Growing male domestic fowl of an egg-laying strain were fed ad libitum and injected intraperitoneally with melatonin or intramuscularly with triiodothyronine (T3) to study the effects on sleep, food intake, blood glucose, e.e.g., oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. Melatonin caused a dose-related depression of food intake with sleep and aphagia lasting for 2 1/2 hr following 8 mg, drowsiness and greatly reduced intake following 4 and 2 mg and a slight reduction in food intake after 1 mg. T3 injection was followed by increased feeding within the range 50-200 micrograms. The higher dose (200 micrograms) completely prevented the effects of 10 mg melatonin injected simultaneously. Melatonin (10 mg) depressed plasma glucose levels whereas T3 (200 micrograms) elevated blood glucose. Either darkness or melatonin (10 mg) caused an increase in amplitude and a decrease in frequency of the e.e.g. Birds fasted for 3 hr before injection showed significantly lower oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production when given melatonin (10 mg); T3 had no effect within the 4 hr period after injection and did not modify the effects of melatonin. It is postulated that the rapid effects of melatonin and T3 which were observed result from direct effects of these hormones on the central nervous system.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of gossypol on domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus.

Domestic fowls (Gallus domesticus) were administered gossypol (10 mg/kg body weight/day) by oral intubation for 15 weeks. Drug treatment did not have any effect on body growth rate. The drug treatment, however, caused a marked decrease in the weights of testis and epididymis. Predominant changes in the histoarchitecture of testis (desquamation of germinal epithelium and inhibition of spermatogenesis) were observed following gossypol treatment. Epididymal tubules in gossypol treated animals were devoid of spermatozoa. Gossypol treatment had no effect on hematological parameters (total erythrocyte count, total leucocyte count, hematocrit and hemoglobin) studied in the present investigations.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Effect of the ovulatory cycle on oviductal sperm storage in the domestic fowl.

Anovulatory domestic hens (pregnant mare serum-treated) and normally cyclic domestic hens were artificially inseminated with 0.034 ml of pooled semen. A subsequent microscopic assessment of the uterovaginal sperm storage glands on days 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 post-insemination indicated that the sperm glands emptied over time in the normally cyclic hens, but not in the anovulatory hens. The data suggest that events associated with ovulation and/or oviposition are important to the sperm gland emptying process.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Group size and perching behaviour in young domestic fowl.

To test the hypothesis that young domestic fowl perform less perch-related antipredator behaviour with increasing group size, White Leghorn pullets were reared in four replicate groups of 15, 30, 60 and 120 at a constant density of 5 birds/m(2). Each pen contained perches 20, 40 and 60cm above the ground. Perch space per bird per perch level was the same for all groups. It was predicted that, with increasing group size, domestic fowl would (1) spend less time on perches (i.e. more time down on the floor); (2) be less vigilant while perching; (3) spend relatively more time preening down on the floor. As predicted, the proportion of 3- to 18-week-old birds roosting on perches during scans throughout the photoperiod decreased with increasing group size, from 41+/-1.7% in groups of 15 birds to 33+/-1.6% in groups of 120 birds. This effect was due to reduced use of the lower perches; use of the highest perches was high at all group sizes. The proportion of birds vigilant on the highest perches of those present on that perch level decreased with increasing group size. The proportion of birds engaged in the vulnerable activity of preening down on the floor increased with group size. The frequency of transitions between floor and perches was not affected by group size but birds received more disturbances from other birds when on the top perch level in the larger groups. Thus, the decline in vigilance on the top perch level with increasing group size was not due to reduced disturbance from other birds. In conclusion, despite domestication and protection from non-human predators, changes in the use of perches by young domestic fowl with increasing group size were consistent with the antipredator hypothesis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1977

The effect of some phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase inhibitors on the adrenaline content in the domestic fowl diencephalon.

The concentration of adrenaline in the domestic fowl diencephalon was determined by a mass spectrometric or fluorimetric method. The values obtained were 701 and 803 ng/g, respectively. The administration of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) (EC 2.1.1.28) inhibitors (SK&F 7698 or SK&F 64139) to the domestic fowl produced a marked reduction in the diencephalic noradrenaline methylation (from 25% in the controls ot 7--8% in the PNMT-inhibitor-treated animals); the large decrease in adrenaline concentration (to 14--18% of controls) was accompanied by a moderate decrease in noradrenaline concentration (to 63--84% of controls). Reserpine, in contrast, produced a marked reduction of both adrenaline and noradrenaline (to 12 and 17% of controls, respectively) but did not affect the percentage of methylation. It would seem a reasonable assumption that in the domestic fowl diencephalon, adrenaline is formed by N-methylation of noradrenaline and functions there as a transmitter in some specific adrenergic neuronal pathways.

Animals↗