Pathophysiology of Heart Failure in Broiler Chickens: Structural, Biochemical, and Molecular Characteristics

Abstract

Modern strains of fast-growing meat type poultry are highly susceptible to heart failure. Heart-related mortalities are observed predominantly in fast-growing broiler chickens, with ascites and sudden death syndrome being the most common heart-related conditions in modern broiler flocks. This paper examines the role of structural, molecular, and biochemical factors pertinent to the pathophysiology of heart failure in fast-growing broilers. Evidence explaining the pathogenesis of acute and chronic heart failure, in the context of the underlying molecular and biochemical changes in the cardiomyocytes, contractile apparatus, and extracellular matrix in the ventricular myocardium are critically evaluated and discussed with reference to the clinical signs associated with deterioration of heart pump function. The secondary pathophysiological effects on the cardiovascular system, resulting from hemodynamic changes associated with the failing heart pump, are also reviewed and critically discussed.

The Effect of Diet Containing High Alpha-Linolenic Acid on Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Health Status of the Heart in Broilers

“…Frequently, birds which die of SDS to be in good condition without any discernible preexisting clinical signs and all birds were well-fleshed and had general pulmonary congestion (Olkowski, 2007). However, birds with history of cardiac rhythm disturbances and showing serious ventricular arrhythmia are at high risk of sudden death.…”

Injury and mortality in broilers during handling and transport to slaughter

“…Cardiovascular disease is common in broilers during rearing and makes a significant contribution to mortality during rearing (Julian 2005;Olkowski 2007). Kittelsen et al (2015a) identified that 36% of the mortalities that occurred during the 3 days before transport could be attributed to sudden death syndrome, 18% to ascites, and 28% to endocarditis.…”

“…Kittelsen et al (2015a) identified that 36% of the mortalities that occurred during the 3 days before transport could be attributed to sudden death syndrome, 18% to ascites, and 28% to endocarditis. Sudden death syndrome is thought to arise from acute heart failure following ventricular arrhythmias that can be precipitated by stressors (Olkowski 2007;Olkowski et al 2008). In Norway, in 2012/2013, postmortem examinations of broilers that (a) died in the barn within 3 days of transportation to slaughter and (b) were DOA at the processing plant (Kittelsen et al 2015a) showed that lung congestion in DOAs (57% of DOAs) was more prevalent than in broilers that died on the farm (38% of the deaths on-farm during the 3 days before transport).…”

Síndrome de hipertensión pulmonar ¿un origen genético en pollos de engorde?

“…El síndrome de hipertensión pulmonar (SHP) ha sido atribuido a una insuficiente capacidad vascular pulmonar (Wang et al, 2002;Rabie et al, 2005) y a un limitado desarrollo cardiaco en estirpes de rápido crecimiento (Olkowski, 2007). Sin embargo estudios de fisiopatología (Burton y Smith, 1967;Pan et al, 2005;Cueva et al, 1974;Hernández, 1982) y expresión del RNA mensajero de los genes endotelina uno (ET1), adrenomedulina (Gómez et al, 2007), síntesis de óxido nítrico sintasa tres (NOS3) (Moreno de Sandino, 2004;Gómez, 2008), sugieren que existe un factor genético relacionado con la susceptibilidad a desarrollar SHP en pollos de engorde sometidos a hipoxia hipobárica crónica o a bajas temperaturas.…”