Effect of Dietary Iron Level on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Broilers

This study investigated the effects of dietary iron (Fe) levels on the lipid metabolism in the liver of broilers. A total of 640 1-day-old AA broilers were fed with the basal diet added with 0, 60, 300, or 600 mg Fe/kg (Fe0, Fe60, Fe300, or Fe600) for 42 days, with 8 pens of 20 birds each in different treatment. The Fe level in Fe60, close to the requirement of the broilers, was used as the control. Both Fe0 and Fe600 treatments significantly increased the weight of abdominal adipose tissue. The Fe600 treatment significantly increased the concentrations of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in serum and the concentrations of cis-aconitic acid and acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in liver. In parallel, it also significantly increased the expression of acyl-Co A synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1) mRNA in the liver, and decreased the expression of triglyceride lipase (ATGL) mRNA in abdominal adipose tissue. The Fe0 treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1) in liver and the fatty acid transposase (CD36) in abdominal adipose tissue. In conclusion, dietary high and low iron levels increased abdominal fat deposition in broilers by promoting TCA cycle and ACSL1 expression or by promoting ACC and SREBP1 expression, respectively.