Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40604375›Full record

ArticleBMC genomics2025

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals the important role of hepatic fatty acid metabolism in the acute heat stress response in chickens.

Zi Mei, Zhenquan Song, Haobo Zhou, Bin Zheng, Yiwei Xiong, Zheya Sheng, Yanzhang Gong

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zi MeiKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Zhenquan SongKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Haobo ZhouKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Bin ZhengKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Yiwei XiongHubei Shendi Agricultural science and trade Co., LTD, Jingmen, China.
Zheya ShengKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. zheya.sheng@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
Yanzhang GongKey Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. poultry@mail.hzau.edu.cn.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2018YFE128100the Science and Technology Innovation 2030 Major Projects 2023ZD04052
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeat stress poses a major challenge to global poultry production, but the molecular mechanisms driving the acute heat stress response in multiple organs of chickens remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to elucidate these mechanisms by establishing an acute heat stress chicken model and analyzing the multi-tissue transcriptome and physiological responses.

resultsExposure to 36℃ for 6 h induced marked physiological changes, including elevated rectal temperatures, severe multi-organ damage, and disrupted energy metabolism (increased serum glucose [GLU] and decreased triglycerides [TG] and total cholesterol [TCHO]). Comparative transcriptomic analysis of heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissues revealed tissue-specific differential gene expression, with the liver and heart showing the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). KEGG enrichment analyses identified lipid metabolism pathways that are key to the multi-tissue acute heat stress response. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified 58 differentially modularized hub genes (DMHGs), of which 42 were hepatic differentially expressed genes, and most of these DMHGs were significantly enriched for fatty acid metabolic pathways. Fatty acid metabolic pathway-associated DMHGs were significantly correlated with rectal temperature, serum GLU, TG, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Functional validation in primary hepatocytes demonstrated that overexpression of FASN attenuated heat stress-induced reductions in triglyceride levels.

conclusionsThe critical role of hepatic fatty acid metabolism in mediating the acute heat stress response in chickens was revealed by a multi-tissue comparative transcriptome, and it was determined that FASN provides actionable insights into improving heat tolerance in poultry through metabolic interventions.

Indexed as

ChickensFatty AcidsGene Expression ProfilingHeat-Shock ResponseLiverTranscriptomeAnimalsGene Regulatory NetworksLipid MetabolismFatty AcidsChickenFatty acid metabolismFatty acid synthaseHeat stressTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID40604375
PMCPMC12220621

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.