The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of selenium (Se) deficiency on the expression of selenoproteins in chicken muscular stomach and to detect the correlation of selenoproteins with muscular stomach injuries. One-day-old broiler chickens were maintained for 55 days on a normal diet (0.2 mg/kg) or a Se-deficient diet (0.033 mg Se/kg). The expression levels of 25 selenoproteins, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and inflammatory factors were then examined by real-time PCR. Following this, the correlation between selenoproteins, HSPs, and inflammatory factors was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that Se deficiency decreased the expression of 25 selenoproteins (P < 0.05), but increased the expression of HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90, and NF-κB, iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, and HO-1 (P < 0.05). Selenoproteins showed a high negative correlation with HSPs and inflammatory factors. Thus, the results suggested that Se deficiency induced muscular stomach injuries by decreasing the expression of selenoproteins. In addition, selenoproteins play an important role in regulating HSPs and inflammatory response. The muscular stomach is a key target of Se deficiency and may play a special role in response to Se deficiency.
Keywords: Heat shock protein; Inflammation factors; Muscular stomach; Selenium deficiency; Selenoprotein.