Effects of feed restriction and dietary fat type on mRNA expression of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) in broilers

Liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is the main cytosolic binding site for long chain fatty acids in hepatocytes. FABPs enhance the uptake of fatty acids into the cell by increasing their concentration due to decreasing concentration of unbound fatty acids inside the cell. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio and feed restriction on L-FABP mRNA expression. A total of 720, 10-day old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were fed diets with unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (U/S) of 2, 3.5, 5, or 6.5 as ad libitum or skip-a-day feeding schedule (during 18–28 days of age). Relative expression of L-FABP mRNA in hepatocytes of broilers was determined using quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our results show that feed restriction induced the expression of L-FABP gene in the liver of broilers. Moreover, L-FABP gene expression was increased by dietary U/S ratio of 6.5. There was no interaction between dietary U/S and feed restriction on the L-FABP gene expression. Results indicate that birds have a mechanism for regulation of fatty acid transfer under different nutritional conditions.