Nutrition and Biochemistry of Survival During Newcastle Disease Virus Infection

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Abstract
The symptoms resulting from a Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection of cockerel chicks, when arrayed in order of increasing virus involvement, correlated with a linear depression of body weight and increase in liver size. These phenomena were accompanied by a significant linear increase in liver DNA per gram of tissue and decrease in RNA, total protein and free amino acids, all in terms of DNA. The significant differences in these liver constituents between symptoms within treatments demonstrate the need for utilizing outcome groups to avoid masking nutritional effects at cellular levels. During the period of active virus involvement, 5 days post-inoculation, on the basis of milligrams per gram liver, starvation was more significant than disease per se in its effect on the increase in DNA and decrease in RNA/DNA and protein/DNA. However, in terms of the whole liver, DNA was affected principally by the disease which also increased RNA and protein. The free amino acids, on the other hand, although showing individuality, were significantly reduced by both disease and starvation. During the animal's recovery from NDV, DNA and RNA/DNA returned to normal levels; however, protein/DNA was significantly above normal and the free amino acids again were depressed. These phenomena were correlated with anabolic requirements related to an accelerated rate of growth in birds recovering from the infection.