Brain Monoamine Concentrations in Turkey Poults Infected with Bordetella avium

Abstract

Six hours post-hatch, large white turkey poults were inoculated intranasally with 5 X 10(7) organisms of the "W" isolate of Bordetella avium. Three hours after inoculation and subsequently on days 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 postinoculation, 30 infected and 30 uninfected control poults were injected intramuscularly with alpha methylparatyrosine (AMPT, 250 mg/kg), and an additional 30 of each group received a saline vehicle. Three hours after AMPT injection, whole brains from treated and untreated poults from both infected and control groups were removed, weighed, and frozen until assayed for norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT). B. avium-infected poults had a significant reduction in steady-state NE and Da and a greater depletion of NE and DA after AMPT treatment compared with control poults. Infected poults had significantly reduced whole brain 5-HT concentrations, which persisted through 21 days postinoculation. Altered brain NE, DA, and 5-HT concentrations suggest that the B. avium-infected poults may be less able to cope with additional stressors.