The in ovo injection of methionine improves intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation in chick embryos by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

Abstract

The intestinal health of chick embryos is vital for their life-long growth, and exogenous nutrition intervention may provide sufficient nutrition for embryonic development. In the present study, we investigated the effect of in ovo injection of L-methionine (L-Met) on the intestinal structure and barrier function of chick embryos. There were 4 groups of treatments: the control (CON) group injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the other 3 groups injected with 5, 10, and 20 mg L-Met/egg, respectively. The injection was performed on embryonic day 9 (E9), and intestinal samples were collected on the day of hatching for analysis. The results showed that, compared with the CON group, the groups administered an in ovo injection of L-Met increased relative weights of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum ( P < 0.05). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that the groups injected with 5, 10, and 20 mg L-Met significantly increased villus height and crypt depth ( P < 0.05). Moreover, in ovo injection of 10 mg L-Met also increased the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of the jejunum ( P < 0.05). Injection with 10 and 20 mg L-Met increased the expression of the tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and claudin-1) and the fluorescence signal intensity of Ki67 and villin proteins ( P < 0.05). Further, the protein expression of phospho-Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2) and phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) was significantly increased by 10 or 20 mg L-Met injection ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the injection of L-Met, especially at a dose of 10 mg, showed beneficial effects on the intestinal integrity of chick embryos due to the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Our results may provide new insights for regulating the intestinal development of embryonic chicks and the rapid growth of chicks after hatching.

Development of small intestine and sugar absorptive capacity in goslings during pre- and post-hatching periods

“…The intestinal tract developed rapidly with the increase of body weight ( Table 3 ). The weight and length of intestine, and its proportion to embryo weight are considered important parameters reflecting the development of the small intestine ( Chen et al, 2021 ). The rapid development patterns of small intestine in the late-term embryonic development have been confirmed in chicks and pigeons ( Uni et al, 2003a , b ; Dong et al, 2012a , b ).…”

Effects of methionine and/or disaccharide injected in the amnion of geese on post-hatching pectoral muscle and small intestine development, glycogen reserves, jejunum morphology, and digestive enzymes activities

“…Similarly, Mohammadrezaei et al (2015) reported that feeding Met into the embryo of chicks had positive effects on the absorption function by improving small intestine villus height and width. Chen et al (2021) noted that delivery of Met increased the relative weight of small intestine and villus height in chicks. Therefore, the injection of DS or Met into the amnion of birds had positive effects on the development of the small intestine, which in turn supported the development of pectoral muscle.…”

“…Early growth and development of the gastrointestinal tract are critical to optimizing the growth of poultry ( Das et al, 2021 ). The relative weight of small intestine and the intestinal morphology are commonly used parameters to evaluate the status of gut ( Chen et al, 2021 ). In the small intestine, the epithelium is thrown into long folds, the villi, which serve to increase the surface area for enzyme secretion and nutrient absorption ( Dibner and Richards, 2004 ).…”

Bacillus subtilis and Pichia farinose mixture improves growth performance and nutrient absorption capacity in broiler chicks

“…In the small intestine, abundant villi endow a large surface area for nutrient absorption and enzyme secretion ( 35 ). In general, the villus height, crypt depth, and their ratio are common parameters to be used to reflect the small intestine development ( 36 ). Giannenas et al ( 37 ) reported that the supplementation of probiotics stimulated the development of villus height in broiler chicks.…”