COMPROMISED ANTIOXIDANT STATUS ASSOCIATED WITH ASCITES IN BROILERS

Tissue infiltration by white blood cells in poultry with ascites has b een reported, which could alter endogenous antioxidant status from oxi dant stress. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine t he effect of ascites on ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and glutathione (GS H), which are major intracellular antioxidants. Broiler chicks (1 day) were placed in environmental chambers maintained with normal ventilat ion (Control) or under low ventilation, which produced a cumulative mo rtality of 31.3% due to ascites. At 3,5, and 7 wk, lung and liver tiss ues were obtained from control birds (n = 5) and from birds in the low ventilation chamber with (ASC, n = 5) or without (NASC, n = 5) overt symptoms of ascites. There were no differences in tissue ascorbate, to copherol, and GSH between the control and NASC groups with the excepti on of hepatic tocopherol at 7 wk, which was higher (P < .05) in NASC b irds than in ASC and control birds. In general, lung and liver concent rations of all three antioxidants were lower (P < .05) in ASC birds th an in NASC and control groups. Uric acid, a product of purine metaboli sm, was lower (P < .05) in liver and lung in ASC birds at 3 wk compare d with control birds. However, uric acid concentrations in ASC birds w ere higher (P < .05) in the lung and serum at 5 wk, and in the liver a t 7 wk compared with NASC and control birds. Although the lower levels of antioxidants in ascitic birds may be due in part to decreased feed intake, the results indicate that antioxidant, status is compromised during ascites produced by this low ventilation model and could be imp ortant in the development of ascites in poultry.