Ammonia-triggered apoptosis via immune function and metabolic process in the thymuses of chickens by proteomics analysis

Dechun Chen; Guanghui Hu; Shuai Zhang; Hongfu Zhang; Xiaohua Teng

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110619

Ammonia-triggered apoptosis via immune function and metabolic process in the thymuses of chickens by proteomics analysis

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2020 Jul 15:198:110619. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110619. Epub 2020 Apr 25.

Authors

Dechun Chen¹, Guanghui Hu², Shuai Zhang², Hongfu Zhang³, Xiaohua Teng⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu, 610041, China.
² College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China. Electronic address: zhanghongfu@caas.cn.
⁴ College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China. Electronic address: tengxiaohua@neau.edu.cn.

PMID: 32344265
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110619

Abstract

Ammonia (NH₃), an environmental pollutant with a pungent odor, is not only an important volatile in fertilizer production and ranching, but also main basic component of haze. In present study, we found that ultrastructural changes and 3167 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) using proteomics analysis in the thymuses of chickens exposed to NH₃ on day 42. Obtained DEPs were enriched using GO and KEGG; and 66 DEPs took part in immune function, metabolic process, and apoptosis in the thymuses of chickens treated with NH₃. 9 genes of DEPs were validated using qRT-PCR, and mRNA expression of 2 immune-related genes (CTSG and NFATC2), 3 metabolic process-related genes (APOA1, GOT1, and GOLGA3), and 4 apoptosis-related genes (PIK3CD, CTSS, CAMP, and NSD2) were consistent with DEPs in chicken thymuses. Our results indicated that excess NH₃ led to immunosuppression, metabolic disorder, and apoptosis in chicken thymuses. Present study gives a novel insight into the mechanism of NH₃ toxicity and demonstrated that immune response, metabolism process, and apoptosis were important in the mechanism of NH₃ toxicity of chicken exposure to high concentration of NH₃.

Keywords: Ammonia; Apoptosis; Chicken thymus; Immune function; Metabolic process; Proteomics analysis.

MeSH terms

Ammonia / toxicity*
Animals
Apoptosis / drug effects*
Chickens / immunology*
Environmental Pollutants / toxicity
Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
Oxidative Stress / drug effects
Proteins / genetics
Proteomics
Thymus Gland / drug effects*
Thymus Gland / immunology*

Substances

Environmental Pollutants
Proteins
Ammonia