Background and Objective: High-altitude hypoxia combined with cold stress causes severe metabolic dysregulation in chickens, including dyslipidemia and hepatic injury, driven in part by an overactive renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). This study tested whether captopril (an ACE inhibitor) could reduce these effects in broilers.
Materials and Methods: A total of 240 chicks were exposed to high-altitude (2100 m) and cold stress conditions. They were allocated to four treatments: a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 10, 20, or 30 mg/kg of captopril. On day 42, blood samples were collected to analyze the serum lipid profile (cholesterol, triacylglycerols, LDL, HDL), hematocrit, and the activities of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP) and lipase.
Results: Captopril treatment significantly improved the serum lipid profile, reducing triacylglycerols and LDL at all doses and cholesterol at the higher doses (20 and 30 mg/kg), while elevating HDL. Hematocrit was also reduced at these higher doses. Additionally, serum lipase activity increased in a dose-dependent manner. Marked hepatoprotective effects were observed, characterized by significant reductions in all measured liver enzymes in the captopril-treated groups. The decreases in ALT and AST were distinctly dose-dependent, with the most pronounced effects in the 20 and 30 mg/kg groups.
Conclusion: Captopril effectively ameliorates the dyslipidemia and hepatic damage induced by high-altitude and cold stress in broiler chickens. The elevated lipase may suggest enhanced pancreatic exocrine function, although this interpretation remains speculative and requires histopathological confirmation. These findings position captopril as a promising agent for enhancing poultry resilience in challenging environments.