Abstract
Chicken spleen Transfer Factor (TF) is a low-molecular-weight lymphocyte extract composed of polypeptide and nucleotide. However, its role in regulating intestinal structure and function in laying hens has remained largely unknown. 100 one-day-old laying hens were randomly divided into five groups and administered with different doses of TF (0.00 [control], 0.05mL, 0.10mL, 0.25mL and 1.00mL). The results showed that the high dose of TF (1.00mL) improved the intestinal mucosa morphology and strengthened the digestive and absorption function. Furthermore, the histology analysis revealed an increase in the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes and goblet cells. Similarly, the results from ELISA demonstrated an increase in the content of IL-10 in the intestinal tract, while the content of TNF-a showed a decrease in this regard. The RT-PCR assay also demonstrated the upregulation of the relative mRNA expressions of Muc2, TLR-2, and TLR-4 genes. The intestinal antioxidant function was significantly enhanced. In conclusion, high-dose of TF can improve the intestinal mucosa morphology and structure, enhance digestion and absorption functions, enhance the intestinal mucosal barrier immune function and antioxidant function, and up-regulate Muc2, TLR-2 and TLR-4 gene relative expression.
Highlights
Nowadays, rapid developments in biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, peptides, and proteins have emerged with a host of new applications in diagnosis and therapy [1,2]
This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of Transfer Factors (TF) on intestinal digestion, absorption function, and intestinal mucosal barrier in laying hens
The oral administration of TF tends to an increase in the weight and the index of immune organs, there was no significant difference between experimental and control groups in this regard (Figure 1a-1c), this may be due to the short application time, or the effect of feed additives on the weight gain of laying hens is not obvious
Summary
Rapid developments in biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, peptides, and proteins have emerged with a host of new applications in diagnosis and therapy [1,2]. The antimicrobial peptide cecropin AD improves the immune status, as well as nitrogen and energy retention, thereby reducing intestinal pathogens in weaned piglets [5]. Other studies have shown that fungal-derived macromolecular substance includes a blend of yeast-derived nucleotides, inositol, and protein as immunomodulators to promote the pathogenic microbe control [6,7]. Transfer Factors (TF) are low-molecular-weight lymphocyte extracts consisting of polypeptide and nucleotide which transmit the ability to express delayed-type hypersensitivity and cell-mediated immunity from high responder animals to low responder animals while the reverse is not true [8]. Since TF is a complex group composed of many low molecular weight proteins, the exact chemical properties and molecular mechanism of TF have not been clarified. Several studies have shown that TF is a potential immunotherapeutic agent
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