A role for plasma aromatic amino acids in injurious pecking behavior in laying hens

Birkl, Patrick; Franke, L.; Rodenburg, T.B.; Ellen, E.D.; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.041

Cited by 24 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Although we did not measure corticosterone as a marker for physiological stress response in the present study, higher corticosterone levels in FP birds shown in the study by van Hierden et al (21), and the low PHE/TYR ratio in blood plasma of birds in social disrupted groups (and higher FP levels) could indicate a stress-mediated increase in PAH activity. Indeed, Birkl et al (36) measured low PHE/TYR ratios in birds kept in groups with aggressive pecking/negative social interaction problems (psychological stressor) and in birds with an early onset of egg-laying (physiological stressor), suggesting a stress-mediated increase in PAH. This observation is also confirmed by Dennis and Cheng (64), suggesting a link between high egg production and aggressive behavior in laying hens selected for survivability and production (65), where the dopaminergic system is likely impacted by reproductive physiology.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Tryptophan-Kynurenine in Feather Pecking in Domestic Chicken Lines

et al. 2019

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Research into the role of tryptophan (TRP) breakdown away from the serotonergic to the kynurenine (KYN) pathway by stimulating the brain-endocrine-immune axis system interaction has brought new insight into potential etiologies of certain human behavioral and mental disorders. TRP is involved in inappropriate social interactions, such as feather-destructive pecking behavior (FP) in birds selected for egg laying. Therefore, our goal was to determine the effect of social disruption stress on FP and the metabolism of the amino acids TRP, phenylalanine (PHE), tyrosine (TYR), their relevant ratios, and on large neutral amino acids which are competitors with regard to their transport across the blood-brain barriers, at least in the human system, in adolescent birds selected for and against FP behavior. We used 160 laying hens selected for high (HFP) or low (LFP) FP activity and an unselected control line (UC). Ten pens with 16 individuals each (4 HFP birds; 3 LFP birds; 9 UC birds) were used. At 16 weeks of age, we disrupted the groups twice in 5 pens by mixing individuals with unfamiliar birds to induce social stress. Blood plasma was collected before and after social disruption treatments, to measure amino acid concentrations. Birds FP behavior was recorded before and after social disruption treatments. HFP birds performed significantly more FP and had lower KYN/TRP ratios. We detected significantly higher FP activity and significantly lower plasma PHE/TYR ratios and a trend to lower KYN/TRP ratios in socially disrupted compared to control pens. This might indicate that activating insults for TRP catabolism along the KYN axis in laying hens differs compared to humans and points toward the need for a more detailed analysis of regulatory mechanisms to understand the role of TRP metabolism for laying hen immune system and brain function.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tyrosine is further catabolized to the neurotransmitters adrenalin, noradrenalin, and dopamine (DA). In our previous work, we have established that PAH activity (measured by the ratio of PHE/TYR) may play a role in the development of injurious head pecking behavior, while FP was not observed (36).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Tryptophan-Kynurenine in Feather Pecking in Domestic Chicken Lines

et al. 2019

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“…In GF mice, gut microbiota also modulates the 5-HT synthesis and release at both the brain and peripheral levels directly and indirectly via the microbiota-host interactions [148]. Reduced 5-HT activity (a 5-HT deficiency) has been associated with personality traits (interspecific social behavior), such as impulsivity and aggression, and deteriorated stress coping capability (increased stress response) in humans and various animals [149,150] including chickens [24,[151][152][153][154].…”

Section: Microbiota Stress-associated Aggressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gut-Brain Axis: Probiotic,Bacillus subtilis, Prevents Aggression via the Modification of the Central Serotonergic System

Cheng¹,

Jiang²,

Hu³

2019

Oral Health by Using Probiotic Products

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Intestinal bacteria release various neuroactive compounds directly or indirectly regulating brain function to modulate host health and behavior through the gut-brain axis. Probiotics have been used as dietary supplements to target gut microbiota (microbiome) for prevention or therapeutic treatment of various diseases including mental disorders. In our study, chickens were used as an animal model to assess, if dietary supplementation of probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, reduces aggressive behaviors following social challenge. Chickens of an aggressive line were housed in single-hen cages. At 24 weeks of age, the hens were paired with similar body weight to identify the dominance rank (day 0). The subordinate and dominant of each pair were fed a regular layer diet or the diet mixed with 250 ppm probiotics for 2 weeks, then the second behavior test was performed between the same pair (day 14). The display of aggressive behaviors in the regular diet-fed chickens was not affected between the levels at day 0 and day 14, while the frequency of threat and aggressive pecking were reduced in the probiotic-fed chickens compared to the levels at day 0. These results suggest dietary probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, could be a suitable strategy for increasing hosts' mental health.

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“…Feather pecking is identified based on core behavioral symptoms, such as increased repetitive pecking at and pulling out of feathers from other birds (Savory, 1995 ), and damage to the feather cover. In addition to behavioral symptoms, FP birds display a wide range of simultaneously existing, neurological symptoms, which include fearfulness (de Haas, 2014 ) and hyperactive behavior (Kjaer, 2009 ), as well as non-neurological symptoms such as tryptophan/serotonin dysregulation (Birkl et al, 2017 ) and gastrointestinal abnormalities (Harlander-Matauschek et al, 2006 ). Gastrointestinal symptoms, including the strong desire for feathers (McKeegan and Savory, 2001 ; Harlander-Matauschek et al, 2009 ), altered intestinal motility (Harlander-Matauschek et al, 2006 ), and intestinal microbial metabolism most pronounced in the ceca (Meyer et al, 2013 ) of FP birds, suggest that gastrointestinal issues, such as altered composition of the intestinal microbiota, could contribute to the manifestation of FP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in cecal microbiome of selected high and low feather-pecking laying hens

et al. 2018

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In mammals, it has become increasingly clear that the gut microbiota influences not only gastrointestinal physiology but also modulates behavior. In domestic birds, ceca have the greatest gastrointestinal microbial population. Feather-pecking (FP) behavior in laying hens is one of the most important unsolved behavioral issues in modern agriculture. The aim of the present study was to assess the cecal microbial community of divergently selected high (HFP; n = 20) and low (LFP; n = 20) feather-pecking birds at 60 wk of age. The cecal samples were subjected to community profiling of 16S rRNA and in silico metagenomics using a modified bar-coded Illumina sequencing method on a MiSeq Illumina sequencer. Our results revealed that compared to HFP birds, LFP birds are characterized by an increased overall microbial diversity (beta diversity) shown by a difference in the Bray–Curtis index (R2 = 0.171, P < 0.05). Furthermore, operational taxonomic unit comparisons showed an increased presence of Clostridiae and decreased presence of Lactobaccillacae in HFP birds when compared to LFP birds (False Discovery Rate < 0.05, Mann–Whitney comparisons). Our data indicate that there may be differences in the cecal profile between these 2 lines of laying hens. More research, building on this first study using sequencing technology for profiling the chicken cecal microbiome, will be needed in order to reveal if and how there exists a functional link between the performance of FP and the cecal microbial community.

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A role for plasma aromatic amino acids in injurious pecking behavior in laying hens

Cited by 24 publications

References 46 publications

The Role of Tryptophan-Kynurenine in Feather Pecking in Domestic Chicken Lines

The Role of Tryptophan-Kynurenine in Feather Pecking in Domestic Chicken Lines

Gut-Brain Axis: Probiotic,Bacillus subtilis, Prevents Aggression via the Modification of the Central Serotonergic System

Differences in cecal microbiome of selected high and low feather-pecking laying hens

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