Effects of sodium dehydroacetate on broiler chicken bones

Sodium dehydroacetate (DHA-Na) is a fungicidal preservative widely used in food and animal feed. DHA-Na can induce coagulation disorders in rats and poultry by inhibiting carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent proteins; it can also impair bone development in zebrafish. However, the effects of DHA-Na on broiler chicken bones remain unknown. Here, we assessed whether DHA-Na impairs bone development in broiler chickens. We administered Suji yellow chickens with 200 to 800 mg/kg DHA-Na, 2 mg/kg vitamin K, or both for 2 mo. Bone metabolite-related serum indicators, tissue micromorphology, and relevant protein expression were monitored during the treatment period. We also assessed primary chicken osteoblast activity, differentiation, and bone metabolite-related proteins after treatment with DHA-Na, vitamin K, or both. The results demonstrated that DHA-Na reduced bone index values and serum and bone osteoblast differentiation marker levels but blocked bone vitamin K cycle. DHA-Na also increased serum osteoclast differentiation marker levels, as well as the bone ratio of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand to osteoprotegerin ratio. Moreover, DHA-Na reduced bone trabecular number, thickness, and area and increased trabecular separation considerably. In general, compared with the control group, the DHA-Na group demonstrated impairments in osteoblast activity and differentiation, as well as in the vitamin K cycle. By contrast, vitamin K supplementation led to considerable attenuation of the DHA-Na-induced decrease in osteogenic marker levels, along with a considerable increase in serum bone absorption marker levels and restoration of DHA-Na-induced bone microstructure damage. Vitamin K also attenuated DHA-Na-induced impairment in osteoclasts. In conclusion, the results indicated that in broiler chickens, DHA-Na supplementation can damage bones by inhibiting osteoblast function and increasing osteoclast activity; this damage can be prevented through vitamin K supplementation.