Molecular and morphometric changes in the small intestine during hot and cold exposure in thermally manipulated broiler chickens.

Background And Aim: Thermal stress (hot or cold) is one of many environmental stressors that severely affects the health of broiler chickens. One negative effect of thermal stress is the disruption of the intestinal barrier function in broiler chickens. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal manipulation (TM) on the small intestine in terms of histomorphometry as well as junctional, heat-shock, and immune response gene expression during post-hatch exposure to thermal stress.