Abstract
The goat industry is one of the major sources of food and protein consumed worldwide. The growth of this industry is faced by challenges such as infection and pathogens. Parturition is a very dynamic period. The coincidental occurrence of periparturient immune suppression and a rise in the shedding of parasite eggs pose a challenge for animal health and production. Galectins constitute an evolutionarily conserved family of β-galactoside-binding proteins. They regulate innate and adaptive immunity and homeostasis. Expression of Galectins may regulate periparturient immune suppression. Galectin gene expression was studied in goat blood during the periparturient period. Body weight, body condition and FAMACHA scores, and fecal and blood samples were collected from Five BoerXSpanish goats at 14 days and 7 days after parturition. Fecal samples were used to assess parasite load. Total RNA was isolated from blood using Trizol and converted to cDNA for real-time PCR using specific primers for goat LGALs-1, -2, -3, -4, -7, -8, -9, -11, -12, -14, -15, -16, and ligand Gal3bp, T-cell immunoglobulin domain, and mucin domain 3(TIM-3). Beta-actin and GAPDH housekeeping genes were used as internal controls. Fold changes in transcript abundance were compared to non-pregnant goats and calculated using the Livak method. Secretion of GALS-1, -3 and -9 in plasma was detected using ELISA. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 and Pearson correlations (p<0.05). Galectins were expressed and correlated to changes in leukocytes and fecal egg counts. Secreted GALS-1 decreased and GALS-3 and -9 increased (p<0.05) postpartum. Differential expression of Gal may have functional implications in animal health and homeostasis and needs further study.
Highlights
Goat population has been on the increase and is estimated to be about 1 billion [1]
Our results indicate that there was a significant difference in body weight and body condition scores before and after birth (Table 1)
Our results showed that LGAL-9 and its receptor T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin domain-containing molecule-3 (TIM-3) were expressed in goat blood during the periparturient period
Summary
Goat population has been on the increase and is estimated to be about 1 billion [1]. Different breeds have various advantageous characteristics which aid adaptation to harsh environmental conditions, resistance to diseases, and the capacity to convert poor quality fibrous feedstuff into animal proteins. Goat production is negatively challenged by infectious diseases such as mastitis [2]. Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infection is considered the most critical limiting factor in goat production systems around the world and results in substantial economic losses to producers [3]. This increase in disease and infection occurrence is usually evident during the periparturient period when there is a temporary impairment in immune function. Goats are faced with infection with nematode parasites such as Haemonchus spp. which impairs weight gain and increases mortality [8]. The periparturient period is associated with relaxation in immunity and a rise in parasitic counts in fecal samples [9]. Due to increase in anthelmintic resistance and climate change producers are faced with increasing difficulties stabilizing doi:10.20944/preprints201804.0032.v1
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