Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

Comparison of flagellin and an oil-emulsion adjuvant in inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine in stimulation of immunogenic parameters

The present study was designed to investigate the potential application of native (N) and recombinant (truncated modified [tmFliC] and full-length [flFliC]) flagellin proteins along with inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Fifty six SPF chickens were immunized twice with PBS (control), inactivated NDV (Ag), inactivated NDV/flFliC (AgF), inactivated NDV/tmFliC (AgT), inactivated NDV/N (AgN), commercial vaccine containing Montanide (Vac) and Vac/N (VacN), with a two-week interval. Blood was collected weekly and spleens were harvested after chickens were sacrificed. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed by Real-Time PCR. Antibody response was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Cellular activity was quantified by MTT assay. Results showed that the most IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression was observed in AgF group (P < 0.01). The lowest gene expression among vaccinated groups was observed in Ag group for IL-6 and Ag and Vac group for TNF-α. The highest HI titer was observed in Vac, VacN, AgF and AgT groups. The AgF group showed the highest cellular activity (P < 0.01). In conclusion, flagellin-adjuvanted groups showed a pro-inflammatory effect and acted similarly to or better than the Vac group. Hence, flagellin can be proposed as a potential adjuvant for ND vaccine.     

Comparative effect of advanced soy products or corn protein concentrate with porcine meal on growth,body composition,and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano,Trachinotus carolinus

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of diets containing advanced soy products (enzyme‐treated soy and fermented soy) or corn protein concentrate (CPC) in combination with porcine meal (PM) to completely replace poultry byproduct meal (PBM) on growth performance, body composition, and distal intestine histology of Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Four experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isolipidic, to contain 400 g/kg crude protein and 80 g/kg lipid. A reference diet (PBM diet [PBMD]) contained 150 g/kg PBM and 495 g/kg soybean meal (SBM), and three test diets were formulated replacing PBM with 15 g/kg of CPC (CPC diet [CPCD]) or replacing all SBM and PBM with 535 g/kg fermented soy (fermented soybean meal diet [FSBMD]) or 451.3 g/kg enzyme‐treated soy (enzyme‐treated soybean meal diet [ESBMD]). All three test diets were supplemented with 38 g/kg of PM. Diets were fed based on a percentage of bodyweight adjusted after sampling the fish every 2 weeks to triplicate groups of Florida pompano juveniles (mean weight 8.06 ± 0.22 g). After 8 weeks of feeding, fish fed CPCD and ESBMD performed equally well in terms of final body weight, thermal growth coefficient, and percentage weight gain in comparison to fish fed PBMD. In all cases, feeding FSBMD resulted in poor feed conversion and lower feed intake compared to other treatments. Protein retention efficiency, whole‐body proximate composition, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and zinc contents were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments. The results obtained in the present histological study showed no significant differences in the thickness of serous layer, muscular layer, and submucosal layer of the intestine among treatments. Fish fed CPCD showed a significant widening of the lamina propria with an increase of cellular infiltration and higher presence of goblet cells compared to other dietary treatment. Based on these results, 451 g/kg ESBM or combination of 150 g/kg of CPC and 495 g/kg SBM supplemented with 38 g/kg PM can be utilized to develop a practical diet for juvenile Florida pompano without impacting growth, nutritive parameters, and several distal intestine health parameters.     

Bamboo NiR gene is associated with regeneration capacity

It was reported that the activity of NiR (nitrite reductase) enzyme encoded by the NiR gene was correlated with the regeneration ability in rice. To testify the function of NiR gene in bamboo, seven bamboo species whose calli had different differentiation rate were chosen to analyse their NiR enzyme activity. The results showed that bamboo NiR enzymatic activity had a certain correlation with the regeneration capacity. A NiR gene named DhNiR from Dendrocalamus hamiltonii with high regeneration capacity was cloned. Sequence analysis revealed that the ORF of DhNiR was 1779bp encoding 592 amino acids. Overexpression of DhNiR in rice reduced the time of shoot differentiation and increased the transformation rate, suggesting that DhNiR might play an important role in the regeneration ability of bamboo, and can be applied in regeneration and gene transformation of bamboo and other plant species.     

动物细胞因子研究进展

细胞因子是免疫活性细胞和其它细胞分泌的具有多种生物活性的多肽或蛋白质 ,这些细胞因子是重要的信息传递物质 ,特别在免疫、炎症和造血系统等生物学反应过程中具有重要的作用。近几年 ,细胞因子的研究已成为生物学研究中最活跃的领域之一。新的细胞因子不断被发现 ,大量的细胞因子正在或将要应用于医学临床。细胞因子的研究带动了整个免疫学的发展。其应用展现出广阔的前景。文章简要介绍了动物细胞因子的作用及其应用前景 ,包括细胞因子与免疫抑制的关系、细胞因子在免疫增强剂和免疫治疗剂、构建新型基因工程苗以及细胞因子对于蛋白质、脂肪和葡萄糖代谢的调控作用等方面的主要研究进展     

茶多酚(TP)对家禽免疫功能的研究

选用14日龄健康的海佩科内用仔鸡48羽,随机分成试验(24羽)和对照(24羽)两组.试验组在饲粮中添加0.25％的茶多酚(TP),研究TP对鸡免疫功能的作用.试验结果表明,TP对自然感染法氏囊病鸡,有明显提高(p<0.05)鸡血液中红细胞C_(3b)受体和免疫复合物的含量及保护鸡脾脏正常的免疫功能,同时也发现TP对公母鸡法氏囊的重量有不同影响.本试验表明,TP具有提高家禽免疫功能的作用.     

胃肠道线虫的黏膜免疫

从机体抗胃肠道线虫的黏膜免疫、胃肠道黏膜的抗原加工与递呈、胃肠道黏膜抵御寄生虫的效应机制等几方面论述了胃肠道线虫的免疫机理和免疫学研究的进展，旨在进一步阐明用免疫介入方法防治胃肠道线虫的理论基础，以解决胃肠道线虫治疗过程中的药物残留以及寄生虫的抗药性问题。     

外源复合酶对移地保护圈养马来熊日粮营养消化率的影响

利用外源复合酶对移地保护圈养的 9只马来熊日粮营养物质及能量消化率进行了测定 ,经单因子方差分析结果表明 ,在圈养马来熊日粮中添加一定量的外源复合酶 ,能提高马来熊对日粮营养物质的消化率 ,其中 ,添加 0 3%饲料量的酶能显著提高日粮粗蛋白的消化率(P <0 0 5) ;添加 0 5%的酶 ,能显著提高日粮粗纤维、粗蛋白质消化率 (P <0 0 5)。此研究结果可应用于马来熊的饲养中 ,提高其饲料报酬     

双黄杀毒退烧颗粒对畜禽免疫功能的影响

研究了纯中药复方抗病毒制剂--双黄杀毒退烧颗粒对成年兔、鸡的体液免疫及细胞免疫功能的影响.HI抗体检测、MTT实验、E-玫瑰花环形成试验和酯酶染色试验的结果表明,双黄杀毒退烧颗粒能显著增强家兔的体液免疫作用,明显提高家兔和鸡的细胞免疫功能,对家兔的免疫增强作用优于鸡.     

D-LysAsnProTyr四肽对肉仔鸡免疫及主要生产性能的影响

将体重、发育及健康状况接近的300羽7日龄肉仔鸡随机等分为5个处理，每个处理设3重复，每重复20羽。试鸡用D-LysAsnProTyr四肽＋3头份新城疫Ⅳ系疫苗生理盐水混合液滴鼻，剂量为50μl／只，D-LysAsnProTyr四肽水平为：0μg／只（对照组），15μg／只，20μg／只，25μg／只，30μg／只。测定新城疫抗体水平及淋巴细胞ANAE阳性百分率，计算全期平均日增重、采食量和料肉比。结果表明，D-LysAsnProTyr四肽在20～25μg／只鸡剂量对ND抗体有明显的提高作用，不改变抗体变化规律；显著提高肉仔鸡血液中淋巴细胞阳性百分率，10～42日龄20μg／只和25μg／只试验组分别比对照组提高2．03～9．47个百分点和2．36～9．22个百分点，淋巴细胞阳性百分率的增减变化规律与对照组相一致，说明适宜剂量D-LysAsnProTyr四肽可以显著提高肉仔鸡对ND的体液免疫和细胞免疫。20μg／只、25μg／只组试期末体重、平均日增重显著高于15μg／只、30μg／只组（P〈0．05）。与20μg／只、25μg／只组相比，对照组日增重、饲料转化率有降低趋势（P〉0．05）。各处理组对肉仔鸡日均采食量无显著影响（P〉0．05）。