Transcriptome sequencing reveals genes involved in cadmium-triggered oxidative stress in chicken heart

As a ubiquitous heavy metal, Cadmium (Cd) is highly toxic to various organs. However, the effects and molecular mechanism of Cd toxicity in chicken heart remain largely unknown. The goal of our study was to investigate the cardiac injury in chicken exposure to Cd. We detected the levels of oxidative stress-related molecules in Cd-induced chicken heart, and assessed the histopathological changes by HE staining. RNA sequencing was performed to identified differentially expressed mRNAs between Cd-induced group and control group. The expression of candidate genes involved in oxidative stress were certified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our results showed that the expression of GSH, POD and SOD were significantly decreased, and MDA was increased in the heart of chicken by Cd induction. The disorderly arranged cardiomyocytes, swelled and enlarged cells, partial cardiomyocytes necrosis, blurred morphological structure and notable inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in Cd-induced chicken heart. RNA sequencing identified 23 up- and 11 down-regulated mRNAs in the heart tissues of chicken by Cd induced, GO and pathways indicated that they were associated with oxidative stress. Moreover, CREM, DUSP8 and ITGA11 were significantly reduced, while LAMA1 was induced in heart tissue of chicken by Cd treatment. Overall, our findings revealed that oxidative stress and pathological changes in chicken heart could be triggered by Cd. The mRNA transcriptional profiles identified differentially expressed genes in chicken heart by Cd induction, revealing oxidative stress-related key genes and enhancing our understanding of Ca toxicity in chicken heart.