Serum opsonization capacity, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst activity in neonatal foals in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: Phagocytic activity of neonatal foals has been reported to be similar to that of adult horses, but serum opsonization capacity develops with age and may be further altered when opsonins are consumed during infection. HYPOTHESIS: Phagocytosis, oxidative burst activity, and serum opsonization capacity in neonatal foals admitted to an intensive care unit are reduced in comparison with control foals. ANIMALS: Blood samples were collected from hospitalized neonatal foals and from control foals. Hospitalized foals were characterized as sick or septic on the basis of a sepsis score and received intravenous plasma transfusion. METHODS: Phagocytosis, oxidative burst activity, and serum opsonization capacity were tested with flow cytometric analysis. Serum immunoglobulin and complement component 3 concentrations were determined with radial immunodiffusion. Serum amyloid A concentration was assayed with a commercially available solid-phase Sandwich ELISA Kit. Data were analyzed with nonparametric and regression methods. Alpha was set at P = .05. RESULTS: Phagocytic functions of septic and sick foals were lower than control foals in the initial phase of the study (P = .01). Opsonization capacity was significantly higher when bacteria were opsonized with serum from septic (P = .029) and sick (P = .006) foals than from control foals on day 1. Opsonization capacity in septic foals was comparable with control foals on days 2 and 5. This effect was not accompanied by an increase in serum complement C3 or immunoglobulin G concentrations independently. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our results suggest that phagocytic function could be decreased in hospitalized foals. The synergistic effect of opsonic elements provided by plasma transfusion may sustain opsonization capacity during sepsis.     

猪母乳抗E2抗体水平的调查研究

本实验对采至广西某猪场的270份母乳奶样,应用间接ELISA和间接血凝试验,分别对其进行了抗猪瘟E2抗体水平和猪瘟全抗体水平的检测.检测结果显示,在270份样品中,间接ELISA检测呈阳性的(即含有抗E2抗体的)占总样品的94.45%,而间接血凝试验检测出这些样品的效价在1:16以上(具有保护力的)高达97.78%.从实验结果可以看出,该猪场母猪在哺育阶段的母乳含有抗E2抗体,仔猪能从母乳获得抗体,从而获得对猪瘟的免疫力.从两个试验的检测结果对照可知,两个数据差异不显著,说明用间接ELISA检测抗E2抗体、用间接血凝试验检测猪瘟抗体来监测猪瘟抗体免疫水平是可行的.本实验进一步论证了E2抗体就是猪瘟的保护性抗体,同时为监测猪瘟开创了一种新的可行方法,这对监测猪瘟真正的免疫水平,帮助猪场制定有效的免疫程序具有很现实的重要的意义.     

Selection for weight gain or food conversion in broilers affects the progesterone production capacity of large folucles in the reproductive adult breeders

1. Selection for leanness by selecting for food conversion (FC‐line) or selection for rapid growth and, thus, a concomitant fat increase (GL line) has also resulted in a lower egg laying rate of the fat birds. In birds of both lines that were effectively laying, plasma progesterone (P4), but not oestradiol concentrations were significantly different, with the lower concentration found in the GL line. This difference could not be attributed to differences in follicle population because this was similar in both groups of selected birds.

2. The in vivo decreased P4 secretion was investigated in vitro using granulosa cells of Fl follicles in a primary cell culture system. Basal P4 secretion tended to be lower in the GL line, whereas LH stimulation resulted in a diminished difference between the two lines. This was mainly caused by a higher relative P4 increase in the GL‐line.

3. Pre‐incubation with FSH increased the LH stimulated P4 secretion equally in both lines, probably through an increase of LH receptors.

4. The results demonstrate that selection for lean or fast growing, fat birds can also change processes apparently unrelated to the selection criteria, but with important effects on reproduction characteristics.     

Effects of daidzein on antioxidant capacity in weaned pigs and IPEC-J2cells

Our previous study found that soybean isoflavones in soybean meal play an important role in improving growth performance and antioxidant capacity in pigs. However, it is still unknown whether long-term supplementation with daidzein, an active molecule deglycosylated from daidzin, in a corn-soybean meal diet can enhance growth performance in pigs. Thus, in the present study, an animal trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with daidzein on the growth performan...     

Effects of dietary water holding capacity and level of fermentable organic matter on digesta passage in various parts of the digestive tract in growing pigs

The effect diet composition on digesta passage over three sections of the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) was studied in growing pigs. A control diet (C diet) and three diets differing in the contents of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and water holding capacity (WHC) were fed.

Results showed a mean transit time (MTT) over the whole GIT over all diets of 75 h. NSP significantly (P < 0.05) decreased MTT over the total GIT and through the large intestine. In contrast, NSP tended to increase the MTT of the stomach contents (P < 0.10). The effects of WHC were limited to tendencies for a decrease of the MTT in the large intestine (P < 0.10) and an increase of the MTT in the small intestine (P < 0.10).     

The capacity of inspection on farm and at the abattoir to predict post-mortem outcomes in slaughter pigs: A study at animal level

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between ear, tail, and skin lesions, hernias, bursitis, and rectal prolapses at the abattoir and meat inspection outcomes in slaughter pigs, including carcass condemnations and trimmings, carcass weight, and carcass quality. This was an observational study whereby pigs were managed according to routine practices in a single abattoir. Data were collected from 1816 pigs. The relationship between animal-based welfare and post-mortem outcomes was analyzed using generalized mixed models (Proc Glimmix). Our findings showed that tail lesions were associated with entire carcass condemnations and trimmings (P < 0.001), a reduction in carcass weight (P < 0.05), and a potential to impair carcass quality by reducing muscle pH (P < 0.05), especially in carcasses from male pigs (P < 0.05). Additionally, hernias were associated with viscera condemnation (P < 0.05) and a reduction in carcass weight (P  < 0.05). Therefore, our findings confirm that ante-mortem inspection could be useful to predict post-mortem outcomes in the same pigs, especially in cases of tail lesions and hernia, which might trigger attention of the veterinary inspector in charge of the post-mortem inspection.     

鸡脾脏中IFN-γ和IL-2的基因表达水平研究

为了解鸡在胚胎期以及出壳后的机体免疫状态,本研究采用SYBRGreenI实时荧光定量RT-PCR方法,检测鸡在胚胎时期和出壳后(1日龄～35日龄)脾脏中IFN-γ和IL-2mRNA表达水平,并研究鸡脾脏免疫功能的建立情况。研究发现:鸡脾脏中IFN-γ和IL-2的基因表达最早于13胚龄被检测到,随后迅速升高,分别于出壳后7日龄和10日龄达到峰值。出壳后,鸡脾脏中同一种细胞因子的基因表达水平显著高于胚胎时期。研究还表明:IFN-γ和IL-2的基因表达模型与出壳后鸡脾脏的发育以及T细胞的迁移定殖情况相一致。该研究对从分子水平,进一步了解鸡在胚胎时期和出壳后,脾脏免疫功能的建立情况具有重要意义。