Calf and dam characteristics and calf transport age affect immunoglobulin titers and hematological parameters of veal calves.

This study aimed to investigate effects of transport age of calves (14 vs. 28 d), and of calf and dam characteristics, on immunoglobulin titers and hematological variables of veal calves. Calves (n = 683) were transported to a veal farm at 14 or 28 d of age.

Effects of early nutrition and sanitary conditions on antibody levels in early and later life of broiler chickens.

Immune maturation of broiler chickens may be affected by management, such as early life feeding strategy (early versus delayed nutrition) or by low or high sanitary conditions (LSC versus HSC). We compared systemic maternal (MAb), natural (NAb), natural auto- (NAAb), and antigen specific antibody (SpAb) levels (IgM, IgY) between broilers (n = 48 per treatment) that received early (EN) or delayed nutrition for 72 h (DN) housed in either low (LSC) or high sanitary conditions (HSC) between 7 and 35 d of age. We found minimal interactions between feeding strategy and sanitary conditions.

Intestinal epithelium integrity after delayed onset of nutrition in broiler chickens.

Fasting older broiler chickens (>7 d of age) enlarges the intestinal tight junction (TJ) pore size, resulting in high paracellular intestinal permeability. Broiler chickens often do not receive feed and water (nutrition) directly after hatch, which may result in fasting up to 72 h of age. Whether perinatal fasting affects intestinal permeability is minimally studied.

Innate immune training and metabolic reprogramming in primary monocytes of broiler and laying hens.

Recently, we have reported trained innate immunity in laying chicken monocytes. In the present study, we further investigated trained innate immunity of monocytes in layers and broilers. Monocytes of both breeds isolated from blood were trained in vitro with β-glucan, rec-chicken IL-4 or a combination of both, and restimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), after which inflammation and metabolism-related responses were measured.

Chicken lines divergently selected on feather pecking differ in immune characteristics.

It is crucial to identify whether relations between immune characteristics and damaging behaviors in production animals exist, as these behaviors reduce animal welfare and productivity. Feather pecking (FP) is a damaging behavior in chickens, which involves hens pecking and pulling at feathers of conspecifics. To further identify relationships between the immune system and FP we characterized high FP (HFP) and low FP (LFP) selection lines with regard to nitric oxide (NO) production by monocytes, specific antibody (SpAb) titers, natural (auto)antibody (N(A)Ab) titers and immune cell subsets.

Intestinal immune maturation is accompanied by temporal changes in the composition of the microbiota.

In animals establishment of the intestinal microbial ecosystem is influenced by mucosal immune functions. As mucosal immune functions dynamically change during development of juvenile layer chicken, this study focused on dynamics in the ileal microbiota composition in relation to intestinal immune development. In addition, the levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) in serum and amount of bacteria coated with IgA, a hallmark of intestinal immune maturation, were analysed.

Natural autoantibodies in Bos taurus calves during the first twelve weeks of life.

Natural autoantibodies (NAAb) have a role in maintaining physiological homeostasis and prevention of infections, and have been found in mammalian species tested so far. Albeit NAAb levels rise with age, little is known about the origin, function, regulation and initiation of NAAb in young animals. The present study addressed the presence of IgM and IgG NAAb binding glutamate dehydrogenase (GD), carbonic anhydrase (CA), myosin (MYO) and transferrin (TRANS) from before drinking colostrum until the first 12 weeks of life in plasma of female calves.

The effects of dry period length and dietary energy source on natural antibody titers and mammary health in dairy cows.

In earlier studies, natural antibodies (NAb) were related not only to the energy balance (EB) of dairy cows, but also to somatic cell count (SCC) and clinical mastitis (CM). The first objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of dry period length and dietary energy source on titers of NAb binding keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in plasma and milk, SCC and CM occurrence in dairy cows in two subsequent lactations. Our second objective was to study the relationship between NAb levels and mammary health.

Long-term effects of early life microbiota disturbance on adaptive immunity in laying hens.

Due to an interplay between intestinal microbiota and immune system, disruption of intestinal microbiota composition during immune development may have consequences for immune responses later in life. The present study investigated the effects of antibiotic treatment in the first weeks of life on the specific antibody response later in life in chickens. Layer chicks received an antibiotic cocktail consisting of vancomycin, neomycin, metronidazole, and amphotericin-B by oral gavage every 12 h, and ampicillin and colistin in drinking water for the first week of life.

Effects of early life dextran sulfate sodium administration on pathology and immune response in broilers and layers.

Intestinal pathology early in life may affect immune development and therefore immune responses later in life. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induces colitis in rodents and is a widely used model for inflammatory bowel diseases. The present study investigated DSS as a model for early life intestinal pathology and its consequences on intestinal pathology, ileal cytokine, and immunoglobulin mRNA expression levels as well as the antibody response towards an immunological challenge later in life in chickens.

Early feeding and early life housing conditions influence the response towards a noninfectious lung challenge in broilers.

Early life conditions such as feed and water availability immediately post hatch (PH) and housing conditions may influence immune development and therefore immune reactivity later in life. The current study addressed the consequences of a combination of these 2 early life conditions for immune reactivity, i.e.

Effect of maternal dry period length on colostrum immunoglobulin content and on natural and specific antibody titers in calves.

The objective was to study the effect of dry period length in dairy cows on immunoglobulin content and natural antibodies (NAb) titers in colostrum, growth, and plasma natural and specific antibody titers in plasma of calves. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (n=167) were randomly assigned to 3 dry period lengths (0, 30, or 60 d). Colostrum production, concentration of colostrum IgG and IgM, and titers of NAb (isotypes IgG and IgM) binding keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and human serum albumin (HuSA) in colostrum were measured.

Development of ileal cytokine and immunoglobulin expression levels in response to early feeding in broilers and layers.

Provision of feed in the immediate posthatch period may influence interaction between intestinal microbiota and immune system, and consequently immunological development of the chick. This study addressed ileal immune development in response to early feeding in 2 chicken breeds selected for different production traits: broilers and layers. Chicks of both breeds either received feed and water immediately posthatch or were subjected to a 72-h feed and water delay.

Localization and (semi-)quantification of fluorescent beads of 2 sizes in chickens over time after simultaneous intratracheal and cloacal administration.

Environmental particles enter the chicken via several routes. Entry via the respiratory and cloacal routes likely activates immune responses. We studied the localization of simultaneous intratracheally and cloacally applied beads of 2 sizes in the chicken body in time, and when possible, semiquantified the amount of beads.

Natural antibodies related to metabolic and mammary health in dairy cows.

Natural antibodies (NAb) are defined as antibodies that circulate in normal healthy individuals under the absence of deliberate antigenic stimulation. Two types of NAb are distinguished: NAb towards exogenous antigens and NAb towards autoantigens (N(A)Ab). The objectives of the current study were threefold.

Effects of genetic origin and social environment on behavioral response to manual restraint and monoamine functioning in laying hens.

Purebred laying hen lines of White Leghorn (WL) origin have been found to be more flighty and to show more feather pecking than lines of Rhode Island Red (RIR) origin. It has been found, however, that when RIR birds were housed together with WL birds, RIR birds became more flighty and those mixed groups developed more feather damage than pure-line cage-housed groups. It is unknown, however, whether this effect of social environment is accompanied by changes in stress-related behavior and neurophysiological activity, which are assumed to be associated with increased feather damage.

Effect of aging and repeated intratracheal challenge on levels of cryptic and overt natural antibodies in poultry.

Natural antibodies (NAb) have been divided in 2 classes: overt and cryptic. Overt NAb can be detected in unfractionated normal sera of nonimmunized mammals and chickens. Cryptic NAb as described in mammals need an in vitro physical or biochemical treatment to be detected, which may reflect their biochemical modification in situ during inflammation or infection.

Effect of early life thermal conditioning and immune challenge on thermotolerance and humoral immune competence in adult laying hens.

Effects of early life experience with climatic (heat) and hygienic [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] stress on adaptability to the same stressors in later life were studied in laying hens. Chicks were exposed to 37 degrees C for 24 h at d 5 of age (n = 12) or were i.v.

Chicken lines divergently selected for antibody responses to sheep red blood cells show line-specific differences in sensitivity to immunomodulation by diet. Part I: Humoral parameters.

Individual differences in nutrient sensitivity have been suggested to be related with differences in stress sensitivity. Here we used layer hens divergently selected for high and low specific antibody responses to SRBC (i.e.

Effects of genetic group selection against mortality on behavior and peripheral serotonin in domestic laying hens with trimmed and intact beaks.

Severe feather pecking is a maladaptive behavior in laying hens that may result in cannibalism and ultimately death of the victims. Selection methods in which the genetic effect of an animal on the survival of its group members is taken into account, i.e.

Does enhancement of specific immune responses predispose laying hens for feather pecking?

To mimic airborne immune challenges, layer hens were intratracheally and concurrently challenged with various doses of the protein antigen human serum albumin (HuSA) and the pathogen-associated molecular pattern lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 7 and 13 wk of age. All groups received 1 similar dose of HuSA plus LPS at 11 mo of age. Evaluation of plumage and body condition at 12 mo of age revealed that birds that had undergone intratracheal immunization with a high dosage of HuSA, irrespective of the concurrent dose of LPS, had significantly more feather damage but less wounds to the vent region, as opposed to birds not receiving HuSA.

Effect of concurrent intratracheal lipopolysaccharide and human serum albumin challenge on primary and secondary antibody responses in poultry.

Activation of the innate immune system by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) may direct specific immune responses and as a consequence probably significantly affect vaccination. Previously, we described modulation of specific antibody responses to systemically administered model antigens by intravenously (i.v.

Decreased specific antibody responses to alpha-Gal-conjugated antigen in animals with preexisting high levels of natural antibodies binding alpha-Gal residues.

High levels of natural antibodies (NAb) binding the alpha-Gal residue (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc) are found in poultry (and humans), which is probably reflected by high levels of natural agglutinating antibodies (Ab) to rabbit red blood cells (RRBC) in plasma from chickens (and humans). Recently, it was shown that alpha-Gal conjugation of proteins induced higher antiprotein Ab responses in alpha-Gal knockout mice, suggesting immune-enhancing features of preexisting Ab binding carbohydrate-protein conjugates. We challenged chickens s.

Natural antibodies related to energy balance in early lactation dairy cows.

The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of natural antibodies (NAb) in plasma and milk of individual dairy cows and to study the relation between NAb concentrations and energy balance (EB) and dietary energy source. Cows (n = 76) were fed a mainly glucogenic, lipogenic, or a mixture of both diets (50:50 dry matter basis) from wk 3 before the expected calving date until wk 9 postpartum. Diets were isocaloric (net energy basis) and equal in intestinal digestible protein.

Intratracheally administered pathogen-associated molecular patterns affect antibody responses of poultry.

Various potential immune-modulating microbially derived pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP), or so called homotopes, are present in high concentrations in the environment of food animals. In previous studies, intravenously administered PAMP had variable effects on specific primary and secondary immune responses of poultry to systemically administered antigens. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of intratracheal (i.