the effects of blood pressure medications on performance, some carcass characteristics and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity on ascite incidence in broiler chickens

a study was conducted to evaluate the effects of blood pressure medications on index of liver damage in ascites incidence in broilers. a completely randomized experimental design with a 2×3 factorial arrangement (sex and feed additive), with 3 replicates of 12 birds, with 216 (108 male and 108 female) one-day-old (ross 308) was applied. feed additive includes control (without feed additive) levothyroxine and atenolol at level of 45 ppm in the basal diet after 21 days of age. albumin and total protein of serum and ascetic fluid, aspartate aminotransferase (ast), and alanine aminotransferase (alt) enzymes acivity of serum were determined in 42 and 49 days of age. in 42 days of age 2 birds from each replicate and in 49 days of age all birds slaughtered and relative weight of spleen, liver and heart measured (ratio body weight). total ascites mortality and ascites morbidity (the ratio of right ventricular weight to total ventricular weight) in 42 and 48 days of age. levothyroxine in diet increased the alt an ast activity in contrast reduced albumin and total protein of serum. relative weight of spleen decreased in response to levothyroxine in diet but relative weight of heart and liver increased. ascites mortality and ascites morbidity decreased in response to atenolol in diet. the results of this experiment indicated levothyroxine could be a replacement of cool temperature in rearing period for ascites incidence in broilers