Feeding a Fermentation Product to Mares in Late Gestation Alters the Biological Activity of Colostrum.

The quality of equine colostrum is typically defined by refractometry or the concentration of maternal antibodies. However, the activity of other equine colostral bioactive molecules has not yet been investigated. This study analyzed whether the administration of a fermentation product (SCFP) influences the biological activity of mare colostrum and whether the biological activity of colostrum has a lasting immunomodulating effect for foals.

Cows with diverging haplotypes show differences in differential milk cell count, milk parameters and vaginal temperature after S. aureus challenge but not after E. coli challenge.

Background: In dairy cattle, mastitis causes high financial losses and impairs animal well-being. Genetic selection is used to breed cows with reduced mastitis susceptibility. Techniques such as milk cell flow cytometry may improve early mastitis diagnosis.

Supplementation of Foals with a Fermentation Product Alters the Early Response to Vaccination.

Feed supplements supporting animal welfare and performance are becoming increasingly important. Immunomodulatory effects of such products have been observed in many species. The aim of this study was to analyze whether food supplementation with a fermentation product (SCFP) affects the occurrence of foal diarrhea in early life, and whether the SCFP feeding has an impact on the immediate response to a parenteral vaccination at the age of 6-9 months.

Flow cytometric detection and identification of different leukocyte subpopulations in stallion semen.

To improve accuracy in evaluating stallion ejaculates, an antibody-based, flow cytometric assay for the detection and identification of leukocyte subpopulations (CD4-, CD8-, CD21-, CD172a-positive cells) in stallion semen (n = 12) was established. For establishment of the assay, native semen was supplemented with blood leukocytes (control: 20% leukocytes, 80% sperm cells) and analysed by flow cytometry. Adding antioxidants (ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluol) to semen immediately after collection inhibited rapid death of lymphoid cells in sperm leukocyte mixtures.

Flow Cytometric Identification and Enumeration of Monocyte Subsets in Bovine and Water Buffalo Peripheral Blood.

Monocytes are innate immune system key players with pivotal roles during infection and inflammation. They migrate into tissues and differentiate into myeloid effect cells (macrophages, dendritic cells) which orchestrate inflammatory processes and are interfaces between the innate and adaptive immune responses. Their clinical relevance to health and disease of cattle (Bos taurus) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), two of the most important livestock species, has been highlighted in physiologic (pregnancy) and pathologic (mastitis, metritis, and viral infections) conditions.

Immune cell composition of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in healthy and respiratory diseased dromedary camels.

Background: Respiratory diseases are among the most common and expensive to treat diseases in camels with a great economic impact on camel health, welfare, and production. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) has been proven as a valuable sample for investigating the leukocyte populations in the respiratory tract of several species. In the present study, fluorescent antibody labeling and flow cytometry were used to study the immune cell composition of BALF in dromedary camels.

Inhibition of mTOR in bovine monocyte derived macrophages and dendritic cells provides a potential mechanism for postpartum immune dysfunction in dairy cows.

Dairy cattle experience a profound nutrient deficit postpartum that is associated with immune dysfunction characterized by heightened inflammation and reduced pathogen clearance. The activation of the central nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway is comparatively reduced in leukocytes of early postpartum dairy cows during this time of most pronounced nutrient deficit. We assessed the effect of pharmacological mTOR inhibition (Torin-1, rapamycin) on differentiation of monocyte derived classically (M1) and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages (MPh) and dendritic cells (moDC) from 12 adult dairy cows.

Allele-biased expression of the bovine APOB gene associated with the cholesterol deficiency defect suggests cis-regulatory enhancer effects of the LTR retrotransposon insertion.

The insertion of an endogenous retroviral long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence into the bovine apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene is causal to the inherited genetic defect cholesterol deficiency (CD) observed in neonatal and young calves. Affected calves suffer from developmental abnormalities, symptoms of incurable diarrhoea and often die within weeks to a few months after birth. Neither the detailed effects of the LTR insertion on APOB expression profile nor the specific mode of inheritance nor detailed phenotypic consequences of the mutation are undisputed.

Non-classical monocytes contribute to innate immune training in cattle.

Innate immune training is defined as a property of innate immune cells to react stronger to a secondary contact with pathogens. Induction of innate immune training has been reported for a variety of pathogens and selected pattern recognition receptor-ligands, such as β-glucans (βG). We examined whether cell wall component βG induces training in bovine monocytes based on a heightened TNF secretion after stimulation by trained monocyte-derived macrophages with LPS.

Feeding a Fermentation Product (Olimond BB) Does Not Alter the Fecal Microbiota of Thoroughbred Racehorses.

Feed supplements such as fermentation products (SCFP) alter immune responses in horses. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether a prebiotic activity of the SCFP alters the gut microbiome in horses. Racehorses were fed either SCFP (Olimond BB, OLI, = 6) or placebo pellets (PLA, = 5) for 43 days.

Cellular detection of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in bovine mammary glands and its distribution and regulation on bovine leukocytes.

Mastitis has a high incidence in dairy cows. Experimental infection with Escherichia coli increased the number of leukocytes in milk and the gene expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in mammary gland tissues. A link between CXCR4 expression and lipopolysaccharide sensing was demonstrated in other species using in vitro models.

A Fermentation Product (Olimond BB) Alters the Early Response after Influenza Vaccination in Racehorses.

() fermentation products (SCFP) are used in animal husbandry as pre- and postbiotic feed supplements. A variety of immunomodulatory effects are noted in many species. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that horses fed with SCFP containing feed additive Olimond BB display a modulated early immune response after influenza vaccination.

Increase of Adverse Events After Intravenous Injection of Gentamicin in Horses Between 2015 and 2017-From Marketing Authorization Holder's Point of View.

Between 2015 and 2017, a marked increase of anaphylactic-like reactions after intravenous administration of gentamicin was observed first in horses and, later, also in humans. This worldwide issue led to safety measures including product recalls and safety warnings. Here, a German Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) of an early and intensely affected veterinary product containing gentamicin describes the clinical approach of the company to analyze the root cause and identify the causative agent in the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).

Influence of environmental enrichment on circulating white blood cell counts and behavior of female turkeys.

Under commercial conditions turkeys are housed in large groups in poorly structured environments. This leads to stress and subsequently to pecking and cannibalism. Environmental enrichment is suggested to reduce stress and feather pecking, thus leading to an increase of the overall flock health.

Recent Advances in Camel Immunology.

Camels are domesticated animals that are highly adapted to the extreme desert ecosystem with relatively higher resistance to a wide range of pathogens compared to many other species from the same geographical region. Recently, there has been increased interest in the field of camel immunology. As the progress in the analysis of camel immunoglobulins has previously been covered in many recent reviews, this review intends to summarize published findings related to camel cellular immunology with a focus on the phenotype and functionality of camel leukocyte subpopulations.

Blood leukocyte composition and function in periparturient ewes kept on different dietary magnesium supply.

Background: Transition period (TP) is characterised by physiological and metabolic changes contributing to immunodysregulation. Since knowledge about this period in sheep is scarce, we analysed changes in selected immune variables during the TP in ewes and whether dietary magnesium (Mg) supplementation could modulate these immune variables. Pregnant ewes (2nd and 3rd lactation) were divided into a control group (CONT, n = 9) and a Mg group (MAG, n = 10) supplemented with Mg oxide resulting in a daily Mg intake of approximately 0.

Leukocyte populations in peripheral blood of dromedary camels with clinical endometritis.

Endometritis represents the main cause of reproductive failure in dromedary camels. In dromedary camels, associations between endometritis-causing pathogen-species, disease severity, and systemic changes in the immune system have not been evaluated. In the current study, there was use of flow cytometry and immunofluorescence of membrane proteins for the evaluation of leukocyte subsets and the cellular phenotype in blood of camels with clinical endometritis and evaluations of associations with disease severity and endometritis-causing pathogens.

Gene expression in bovine endometrial cells and blood-derived neutrophils stimulated by uterine secretions.

Uterine epithelial cells (UEC) and migrated polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) play important roles in the uterine defence against microbial infection. The aims of the present study were to investigate i) whether undiluted uterine secretions modulate the expression of genes associated with the innate immune response in UEC and PMN in vitro, ii) whether these changes differ between the two cell populations and iii) whether uterine secretions from cows with subclinical endometritis produce a different response to those from unaffected cows. Therefore, undiluted uterine secretions, cytobrush and biopsy samples were collected from bovine uteri at a local abattoir.

Hepatic Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Divergent Pathogen-Specific Targeting-Strategies to Modulate the Innate Immune System in Response to Intramammary Infection.

Mastitis is one of the major risks for public health and animal welfare in the dairy industry. Two of the most important pathogens to cause mastitis in dairy cattle are () and (). While generally induces a chronic and subclinical mastitis, is an important etiological pathogen resulting in an acute and clinical mastitis.

Cows selected for divergent mastitis susceptibility display a differential liver transcriptome profile after experimental Staphylococcus aureus mammary gland inoculation.

Infection and inflammation of the mammary gland, and especially prevention of mastitis, are still major challenges for the dairy industry. Different approaches have been tried to reduce the incidence of mastitis. Genetic selection of cows with lower susceptibility to mastitis promises sustainable success in this regard.

Dromedary camel CD14 MHCII monocytes display inflammatory properties and are reduced in newborn camel calves.

Background: In human and different animal species, blood monocytes are classified based on their expression pattern of different monocytic markers into phenotypically and functionally different subsets. In the current study, we used flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies to CD172a, CD14, CD163 and MHCII to identify monocyte subsets in peripheral blood of dromedary camels.

Results: Based on CD14, CD163 and MHCII expression, camel CD172a + monocytes were divided into three subsets: The major subpopulation of camel monocytes (mo-I) showed high expression of CD14 and CD163, but low expression of MHCII.

In vivo model to study the impact of genetic variation on clinical outcome of mastitis in uniparous dairy cows.

Background: In dairy herds, mastitis causes detrimental economic losses. Genetic selection offers a sustainable tool to select animals with reduced susceptibility towards postpartum diseases. Studying underlying mechanisms is important to assess the physiological processes that cause differences between selected haplotypes.

Triple (GGTA1, CMAH, B2M) modified pigs expressing an SLA class I phenotype-Effects on immune status and susceptibility to human immune responses.

Porcine xenografts lacking swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) class I are thought to be protected from human T cell responses. We have previously shown that SLA class I deficiency can be achieved in pigs by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of β -microglobulin (B2M). Here, we characterized another line of genetically modified pigs in which targeting of the B2M locus did not result in complete absence of B2M and SLA class I but rather in significantly reduced expression levels of both molecules.

Genetic selection for bovine chromosome 18 haplotypes associated with divergent somatic cell score affects postpartum reproductive and metabolic performance.

The susceptibility of animals to periparturient diseases has a great effect on the economic efficiency of dairy industries, on the frequency of antibiotic treatment, and on animal welfare. The use of selection for breeding cows with reduced susceptibility to diseases offers a sustainable tool to improve dairy cattle farming. Several studies have focused on the association of distinct bovine chromosome 18 genotypes or haplotypes with performance traits.

Correction to: Characterization of functional traits with focus on udder health in heifers with divergent paternally inherited haplotypes on BTA18.

The original article [1] contained an error whereby the captions to Figs 2 and 3 were mistakenly inverted; this has now been corrected.