Immunological status in pregnant goats

Abstract

In order to form the animal immunity and develop individual immunological features certain environmental conditions and diet are required. These immunological defense specificities are also defined by animal species, gender, age and other personal traits. Such physiological process as pregnancy has a great impact upon the immune system so the immunity assessment and the patterns identification of changes during this period are an important issue of the goat husbandry. The aim of this research was to study immunological features in Saanen goats depending on month of pregnancy. The research was conducted in North-Western region of Russian Federation, in Saanen goats. The experimental group included 30 pregnant Saanen goats, 1-4 years of age, selected using matched pairs method; control group included 30 non-pregnant Saanen goats, same age. The blood samples were taken 5 times during pregnancy, each month once. Results presented as mean±standard error of the mean. Student's t-test was used after proving normal distribution. Level of significance is labeled as p<0.05. The results are displayed in table 1. After analyzing the received data the significant lysozyme activity decreasing during the whole period of pregnancy was detected – the maximum values of this indicator are observed in the 1st month of pregnancy, the minimum in the 5th month of pregnancy. There was a tendency to serum bactericidal activity decrease for the entire period of pregnancy, the maximum values were observed in the 2nd month of pregnancy, the minimum – in the 5th month. The tendencies to phagocytosis indicators reduction were observed as well. It is noticeable that the maximum values for the phagocytosis indicators were noted during the 2nd month of pregnancy, the minimum – during the 5th month of pregnancy. And for the entire period of pregnancy these values were decreased. Concerning the different immunoglobulin classes blood levels the nonlinear dynamics were observed. So, immunoglobulin A during the 2nd month of pregnancy reached minimal values, and during the following months immunoglobulin A concentration increases, reaching a maximum by the 5th month. The differences during this period are significant when compared with the control group. The immunoglobulin M concentration didn't have significant differences during the entire pregnancy between the both groups. The immunoglobulin G concentration was minimal during the 1st month of pregnancy, and in the 2nd and 3rd months, an increase in this indicator in pregnant animals when compare with control group animals was observed. By the 4th month of pregnancy, the immunoglobulin G concentration of was at the maximum level, and in the 5th month of pregnancy a tendency to decrease the concentration was observed. A linear increase in the blood circulating immune complexes concentration was observed during the entire period of pregnancy. The differences were significant. Thus, during the entire pregnancy, the dynamics of humoral immunity markers increasing were observed. Consequently this data is important to be taken into consideration while keeping pregnant goats.