This study was envisaged to comprehensively profile genes in selected tissues along with a few biochemical indicators and integrate resulting information with dietary
selenium (Se) deficiency symptoms in broilers. A total of 120 one-day-old Cobb male broilers were equally divided into two groups and fed a Se deficient corn-soybean-based basal diet supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg
sodium selenite (Control, Se adequate) or without
selenite (Se deficiency) for five weeks. Effects of Se deficiency on
mRNA abundance of twenty-three
selenoprotein encoding genes and seventeen
insulin signaling related genes were studied at day 35 in pancreas, liver and muscle along with plasma biochemical constituents and
enzyme activities. Compared to healthy birds in control diet, Se deficient diet induced deficiency symptoms in 90% birds and classic nutritional pancreatic
atrophy, depressed growth performance of broilers, and decreased (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05) total
antioxidant capacity and activities of
superoxide dismutase and
glutathione peroxidase in plasma and three other tissues. Se deficiency resulted in 58% higher mortality than control birds. Dietary Se deficiency down-regulated (P < 0.01-0.05) eighteen
selenoprotein encoding genes in pancreas, fourteen genes in muscle and nine genes in liver, and up-regulated (P < 0.05) Txnrd1 and Selx in liver. Meanwhile, six, thirteen and five
insulin signaling related genes were down-regulated (P < 0.01-0.05) in pancreas, muscle and liver, respectively, and three genes were up-regulated (P < 0.01) in liver. The decrease (P < 0.05) in levels of plasma
insulin, total
triglyceride and total
cholesterol, and concurrent elevated (P < 0.05) levels of plasma
glucose and inflammatory
cytokines accompanied the global down-regulation of
selenoprotein encoding- and
insulin signaling related- genes in Se deficient birds. It was concluded that dietary Se deficiency induces nutritional pancreatic
atrophy and metabolic disorder of
glucose and
lipid in broilers via down-regulation of
selenoprotein encoding- and
insulin signaling related- genes, indicating potential roles of these genes in metabolic regulation.