Metabolic Biochemistry Research Group

Regulation of hormonal signaling, metabolic and inflammatory processes by nutrition factors in chicken

Growth rate and welfare of chickens are basically determined by nutrition factors, influencing meet quality at the same time which has a high importance from poultry farming as well as from human nutrition physiology point of view. Research group investigates the effect of different nutrition factors, such as the salt of four-carbon volatile fatty acid, butyrate, non-starch polysaccharide and crude protein content of feed on certain metabolic and inflammatory processes in in vivo and in vitro studies. Innovation of our research group is to reveal such new possibilities, which are suitable for the amelioration of the endocrine homeostasis and inflammatory state of food-producing animals, leading to the development of productivity. Furthermore useful and new information can be gained for basic researches concerning the molecular mechanism of butyrate.

Examination of the effects of different molecules on the insulin and incretin homeostasis of chicken and rabbit

During research work, our aim is to investigate the influence of different epigenetically active molecules (e.g. butyrate) on insulin secretion and insulin signaling, as well as to reveal the regulatory function of incretins in chicken and rabbit. As the insulin homeostasis of birds usually greatly differs from that of mammals, our work may be of special importance regarding comparative biochemistry too.

In vitro investigation of inflammatory and metabolic processes on hepatic cell culture models

On this field, research group works with primary hepatocyte cultures of swine, chicken and rat origin, carries out their characterization (by using immunohistochemistry and ELISA) and studies the ratio of Kupffer-cells. Inflammatory and metabolic in vitro cell cultures were elaborated: establishment of a new hepatocyte-Kupffer-cell co-culture, its characterization, investigation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide induced inflammation, testing of efficacy of anti-inflammatory agents are also part of daily research work.

Study of the effect of butyrate on enteral and hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) detoxifying enzymes in chicken

Examination of effects of the epigenetically and metabolically active butyrate on CYP enzyme activity – playing a key role in the intestinal and extraintestinal detoxification of xenobiotics – is especially important. According to the recent scientific data, apart from the hepatic detoxification system, the role of intestinal CYP enzymes in the biotransformation of per os taken xenobiotics is also significant, thus studying these enzymes – due to determination of feed-drug interactions - may be of special importance from food-safety point of view too.

Investigation of epigenetic effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors in vivo and in vitro

Numerous intestinal and extraintestinal effects of butyrate can be explained primarily with the epigenetic regulation of gene expression by the inhibition of histone deacetylase enzyme (HDAC). Research group compares the already proven, in vitro histone deacetylase inhibiting effect of butyrate with the effect of orally applied butyrate on the acetylation of certain histones in chicken liver in vivo.