Serum Immune Indices Research Articles

Evaluating the Effects of Replacing Alfalfa with Broussonetia papyrifera Branch/Leaf Powder on Growth and Serum Indicators in Dezhou Donkeys.

The purpose of this experiment was to study the apparent digestibility and the effects of Broussonetia papyrifera (BP) branch/leaf powder supplementation on growth performance and serum indicators in donkeys. The results showed that the apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acidic detergent fiber (ADF), and digestible energy content (DE) of BP branch/leaf powder were 51.88%, 67.27%, 64.86%, 49.59%, 54.73%, 40.87%, and 6.37 MJ/kg, respectively. The average daily gain (ADG) in the 20% group was significantly higher than in the 0% and 30% groups. The serum albumin (ALB) levels in the 0% and 10% groups were significantly higher than those in the 20% and 30% groups, while the serum globulin (GLB) content in the 10% group was significantly lower than in the other groups. The 20% group showed decreased serum triglyceride (TG) levels compared to the other groups. Both the 20% and 30% groups exhibited lower total cholesterol (TC) levels and increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) compared to the 0% and 10% groups and higher serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels than the 10% group. The 30% group had higher serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels than the other groups, while all three BP branch/leaf powder groups had lower serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) levels than the 0% group. There was a gradual increase in serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) with the increasing amount of BP branch/leaf powder added. In conclusion, the optimal supplemental proportion of BP branch/leaf powder in the diet is 20%. Furthermore, BP branch/leaf powder can improve growth performance, serum immune indices, and antioxidant capacity in Dezhou donkeys.

Effects of the Supplementation of Essential Oil Mixtures on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Status and Microbial Community in Weaned Piglets

Since essential oils—such as cinnamaldehyde, thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol—have antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, this study aimed to examine the supplementation of different essential oil mixtures together with 1600 mg/kg zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, incidence of diarrhea, serum immune indices, fecal volatile fatty acids, and microflora structure in weaned piglets. A total of 240 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 8.85 ± 0.21 kg were randomly allocated to 30 pens (6 pens per diet, 4 males and 4 females per pen). Five different experimental diets were prepared and administered for 28 days: (i) a control diet (C), a corn–soybean basal diet without antibiotics, ZnO, or a supplementation of growth promoters; (ii) a control diet with 400 mg/kg essential oil mixtures 1 (EOM1); (iii) a control diet supplemented with ZnO at 1600 mg/kg (Z); (iv) a diet incorporating the Z diet with the addition of essential oil mixtures 1 at 400 mg/kg (ZOM1); and (v) a diet incorporating the Z diet with the addition of essential oil mixtures 2 at 400 mg/kg (ZOM2). During day (d) 14–28 and d 1–28 of the experiment, the average daily gain (ADG) in piglets in the ZOM1 and ZOM2 groups were higher (p < 0.05) compared to the C group. The diarrhea incidence of the Z, ZOM1, and ZOM2 groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and the piglets of the ZOM1 group exhibited the lowest diarrhea incidence throughout the trial period. Additionally, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash, organic matter (OM), and ether extract (EE) were higher than those fed the Z diet, and higher levels of NDF, ADF, and crude protein (CP) were observed in groups other than those fed the ZOM1 diet (p < 0.01). On d 14, the pigs fed EOM1 and ZOM2 diets showed a somewhat lower (p < 0.1) immunoglobulin G (lgG) level in serum than those fed the C diet. Additionally, the IL-8 level in serum in the ZOM1 group tended to be higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.1). The piglets fed the ZOM1 diet showed a tendency of lower (p = 0.05) acetate concentration in feces on d 14. Principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the composition of fecal microbial communities among the groups. Dietary EOM1 significantly increased the number of fecal bacteroides (p < 0.05) and tended to increase the number of Prevotella (p < 0.1). Therefore, EOM1 combined with 1600 mg/kg ZnO tends to reduce diarrhea incidence, tends to improve the fecal microbial community structure and growth performance of weaned piglets, and has the potential to replace pharmacological dosages of ZnO.

Effects of stevia extract on production performance, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, and gut health of laying hens

In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of stevia extract on production performance, serum immune indexes, intestinal structure, and cecum microbial structure. We randomly divided eight hundred 46-wk-old Roman hens into 5 groups, with 8 replicates in each group and 20 chickens in each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the 4 experimental groups were fed 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg stevia extracts. The study period was 24 wk. The addition of different concentrations of the stevia extract to the diet resulted in significant secondary changes in the egg production rate at 1 to 12 wk (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the addition of 50 and 100 mg/kg stevia extract to the diet significantly increased serum IgM and IgG levels in laying hens (P < 0.05) but linearly decreased serum IL-1β levels (P < 0.05). Serum T-SOD activity linearly increased (P=0.057); however, serum biochemical indexes showed no significant differences. Stevia extract tended to increase the ratio of the duodenal villi height to the depth of the crypt (P=0.067), with no obvious lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. In addition, stevia extract increased the relative abundance of species at the phylum level, with the abundance of Bacteroides and Firmicutes exhibiting significant secondary changes (P < 0.05). The ACE and Chao1 indexes suggested that stevia extract addition significantly increased the alpha diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Furthermore, NMDS analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed that stevia extract addition increased the beta diversity of cecum microorganisms in laying hens. Adding a certain amount of stevia extract to feed can improve the production performance, immune ability, and intestinal health of laying hens to some extent, and we recommend an effective level of 200mg/kg of stevia extract for laying hen diets.

Analysis of the clinical characteristics of 25 cases with parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease

Objective: To retrospectively investigate the clinical data, radiological characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with parenchymal neuro-Behcet's disease (P-NBD) with particular emphasis on dizziness. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of clinical data from 25 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of P-NBD who were admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital between 2010 and 2022. The median age of the population was 37 years (range: 17-85 years). Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed, including gender, age of onset, disease duration, clinical manifestations, serum immune indicators, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) routine biochemical and cytokine levels, cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, treatment, and outcome. Results: The majority of patients were male (16 cases; 64.0%), the mean age of onset was (28±14) (range: 4-58 years), and the disease course was acute or subacute. Fever was the most common clinical presentation, and the complaint of dizziness was not uncommon (8/25 patients). Analysis of serum immune indices, including complement (C3 and C4), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrotic factor-alpha were abnormal in 80.0% of patients (20/25). Most of the 16/25 patients who underwent lumbar puncture tests had normal intracranial pressure and increased CSF white cell count and protein [median values were 44 (15-380) ×106/L and 0.73 (0.49-2.81) g/L, respectively]. Of the five patients who underwent CSF cytokine tests, four patients had abnormal results; of these, an elevated level of IL-6 was most common, followed by IL-1 and IL-8. The most common site of involvement in cranial MRI was the brainstem and basal ganglia (60.0% respectively), followed by white matter (48.0%) and the cortex (44.0%). Nine cases (36.0%) showed lesions with enhancement and six cases (24.0%) showed mass-like lesions. Three patients (12.0%) patients had lesions in the spinal cord, most frequently in the thoracic cord. All patients received immunological intervention therapy; during follow up, the majority had a favorable outcome. Conclusions: P-NBD is an autoimmune disease with multiple system involvement and diverse clinical manifestations. The symptom of dizziness is not uncommon and can be easily ignored. Early treatment with immunotherapy is important and can improve the outcome of these patients.

Two doses of Lactobacillus induced different microbiota profiles and serum immune indices in pigs

We evaluated the changes in microbiota profiles and serum immune indices of growing pigs after dietary supplementation with two different doses of Lactobacillus reuteri ZLR003. Both Lactobacillus doses significantly affected the growth performance of pigs. Copy number/g feces showed that L. reuteri ZLR003 reached the gastrointestinal tract and accumulated, but the higher dose was excreted more. L. reuteri ZLR003 increased species richness and Bacteroidetes abundance. The abundances of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Terrisporobacter, Blautia, Corynebacterium and Streptococcus were significantly lower, and those of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Bifidobacteriaceaeg_Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were significantly higher in both Lactobacillus-treated groups than in controls. Abundances of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Terrisporobacter and Lactobacillus differed significantly between the high- and low-dose Lactobacillus-treated groups. The acetic, butyric, propionic, valeric and isovaleric acid concentrations were higher in both Lactobacillus-treated groups than in controls, and acetic and butyric acid concentrations were higher in the low-dose group than in the high-dose group. The Lactobacillus-treated pigs had increased serum immunoglobin G, immunoglobin M, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 levels and a decreased tumor necrosis factor-α concentration compared with the control group. Serum levels of interferon-γ were increased, and serum IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 levels were lower in the low-dose group than in the high-dose group. The increased Lachnospiraceae and decreased Terrisporobacter abundances were the core functional genera associated with the significantly affected immune indices in the present results. Our findings will help facilitate the use of Lactobacillus strains in pig production.

Growth-promoting and immunostimulatory effects of phytobiotics as dietary supplements for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings

A 56-day feeding experiment was designed to evaluate the impacts of five herbal extracts, namely Ginkgo biloba (GB), Moringa oleifera (MR), Myristica fragrans (NM), Silybum marianum (MT), and Astragalus membranaceus (AT) on growth, serum immune indices, and ammonia-N stress resistance of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings. Fish were fed on a diet with no herbal additives (reference or CNT), and several plant extracts-based diets were supplied with two inclusion doses of each extract (1.0 and 2.0 g/kg). After the end of the feeding, fish in all groups were exposed to acute ammonia stress, mortalities were recorded every 2 h for a duration of 10 h, and then survival percent was assessed. Results showed that growth was upgraded significantly in groups fed plant extracts-based diets compared to the CNT group. Serum proteins (albumin and total protein), lysozyme, complement C3, bactericidal, and myeloperoxidase activities were increased significantly in groups fed plant extracts-based diets in relation to the CNT group. The total immunoglobulin levels were increased significantly only in fish groups fed GB, MT, and NM-based diets. Post-exposure to acute ammonia stress, the Kaplan–Meier survival curve presented significantly higher survival of fish groups that fed plant extracts-enriched diets than those fed the CNT diet. The aforementioned results suggest that using herbal extracts as feed supplements can beneficially enhance the growth, the immunity of P. hypophthalmus fingerlings and may increase their tolerance in the face of extrinsic stressors. These findings may pave the way for the potential and regular application of herbal extracts in diets of P. hypophthalmus at their early life stages to raise their immunity and maintain aquaculture sustainability.

Effect of 1,3-Beta Glucans Dietary Addition on the Growth, Intestinal Histology, Blood Biochemical Parameters, Immune Response, and Immune Expression of CD3 and CD20 in Broiler Chickens.

This experiment evaluated the impact of the dietary addition of 1,3-β-glucans (GLU) on broiler chickens’ growth, intestinal histology, blood biochemical parameters, and immunity. Two hundred three-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) (97.93 ± 0.19 g/chick) were randomly assigned into four treatments with five replicates, each containing ten birds, in a complete randomized design. The four treatments were formulated with 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg 1,3-β-glucans kg−1 in broiler chicken diets. During the study, no significant impacts (p > 0.05) were observed in weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) between treatment groups. Based on the results of total body weight gain and FCR, the optimal level of 1,3-β-glucan is 120 mg Kg−1. The intestinal histomorphology was improved by GLU supplementation, as indicated by increased villi height and villi height to crypt depth ratio (p < 0.01). All levels of supplemental β-1,3 glucan decreased the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride levels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p < 0.05). The serum levels of growth hormones (GH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) were increased in GLU-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). The serum immune indices (lysozyme activity, interleukin 10 (IL10), complement 3 (C3), and total protein levels) were increased in the GLU-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). Dietary GLU up-regulated the immunoexpression of CD3 (T-cell marker) and CD20 (B-cell marker) in the spleen of birds (p < 0.01). It can be concluded that 1,3-β-glucan can be added to broiler chicken diets for improving the development and integrity of the intestine and enhancing the bird’s immune status. The optimal level for 1,3-β-glucan dietary supplementation was 120 mg Kg−1. Dietary 1,3-β-glucan has a hypolipidemic effect and improves the hormonal profile of birds without affecting their growth rate.

Oregano Oil Combined with Macleaya Cordata Oral Solution Improves the Growth Performance and Immune Response of Broilers.

Simple SummaryDeveloping safe and effective antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) substitutes is particularly important to improve animal health and production performance. As an essential plant oil, the oregano oil's main bioactive substance is carvacrol, which has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. The sanguinarine from macleaya cordata is the primary bioactive substance. Sanguinarine has anti-tumor, immune-enhancing, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, it has not been reported whether the compatibility of oregano oil and macleaya cordata extract could produce better results. This study is the first to report the effect of oregano oil combined with macleaya cordata oral solution on the growth of broilers. The oregano oil combined with macleaya cordata oral solution significantly improved the growth performance of broilers. At the same time, serum biochemical indices, serum antioxidant indices, serum immune indices, serum cytokines, and intestinal morphology were significantly improved. In summary, our results demonstrated that the mixed solution of oregano oil and macleaya cordata has substantial potential to be an alternative to AGPs for broilers to reduce costs and improve benefits. This study provides basic data and technical support for further research.The abuse of AGPs in animal husbandry has led to severe problems such as drug resistance and ecological, and environmental destruction, which seriously threaten human health and public health security. In recent years, extracts of oregano oil and macleaya cordata have become a hot spot in the research and application of AGP substitutes for their safety and high efficiency. This study is the first to report the effect of oregano oil combined with macleaya cordata oral solution on broiler growth performance. A total of 960 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into four treatment groups (240 chickens per group). Each treatment group was divided into six replicate groups (40 birds per replicate group). There were four groups in this study: the solvent control group, the oregano essential oil combined with macleaya cordata extract oral solution group (OS group), the oregano essential oil oral solution group (OEO group), and the macleaya cordata extract oral solution group (MCE group). Two chickens from each replicate group were collected and mixed into a composite sample. Six composite samples were obtained for each treatment group. The results showed that the oregano oil combined with macleaya cordata oral solution significantly improved the growth performance of broiler chickens. At the same time, serum biochemical indices, serum antioxidant indices, serum immune indices, serum cytokines, and intestinal morphology were significantly improved by the OS group. This study shows that oregano oil combined with macleaya cordata oral solution has substantial potential to be an alternative to AGPs for broilers.

Immunosuppressive Effects of Thallium Toxicity in Nile Tilapia Fingerlings: Elucidating the Rescue Role of Astragalus membranaceus Polysaccharides.

This study evaluated the immunotoxic effects of thallium (Tl) in Nile tilapia fingerlings and the recovery role of dietary Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides (ASs). An 8-week experiment was designed where 180 fishes were randomly and equally assigned in triplicates into the six groups: the control group (CNT) was reared in unpolluted water and fed a commercial diet, two groups were fed a well-balanced commercial diet plus 1.5 and 3.0 g AS/kg diet (AS0.15 and AS0.30), respectively, the fourth group was exposed to a sublethal dose of Tl (41.9 μg l−1) [equal to 1/10 of 96-h lethal concentration 50 (LC50)], and the last two groups were fed 0.15 and 0.3% AS, respectively, and concurrently exposed to Tl (41.9 μg l−1) (AS0.15+Tl and AS0.30+Tl). Fish hematobiochemical parameters, serum immunity [nitric oxide, total immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels, and lysozyme activity], transcription of hepatic interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) were assessed. Hematobiochemical parameters and serum immune indices were significantly decreased in the fish group exposed to sublethal Tl concentration compared to the CNT group. Furthermore, Tl exposure significantly induced overexpression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ genes (4.22-, 5.45-, and 4.57-fold higher, respectively) compared to CNT values. Tl exposure also increased the cumulative mortality (%) in Nile tilapia challenged with A. hydrophila. Remarkably, the groups fed AS0.15+Tl and AS0.30+Tl significantly ameliorated all the aforementioned parameters, but did not reach CNT values. Our findings suggest the possible immunomodulating roles of dietary AS in recovering the immunotoxic effects of Tl in Nile tilapia. We can conclude that dietary AS would be useful for maintaining the immunity of Nile tilapia fingerlings.

Modulatory effects of dietary cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) against waterborne lead toxicity in Nile tilapia fingerlings: Growth performance, haemato-biochemical, innate immunity, and hepatic antioxidant indices

This study investigated the protective effect of dietary cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) powder (CzP) on the growth performance, haemato-biochemical, innate immunity, and hepatic antioxidant indices of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings against the toxic effect of prolonged lead (Pb) exposure. Fish (22.6–25.3 g) were fed on diets supplied with two CzP levels (0.0 (control) and 10 g/kg diet) up to satiety for 60 days. At each CzP level, fish were exposed to 0.0 and 7.94 mg Pb/L in five replicates. At the end of this trial, Pb residues in the whole-fish body as well as haemato-biochemical, antioxidant, and immune indices were determined. The waterborne Pb adversely affected the growth performance, white blood cells and red blood cells counts, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels. Blood cortisol, glucose, total cholesterol, serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferases and lactate dehydrogenase values were significantly higher; meanwhile, total lipids, total protein, albumin, and globulin as well as alkaline phosphatase were significantly lower in Pb-exposed fish. Hepatic oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total antioxidant activity) and serum immune indices (respiratory burst activity, serum lysozyme activity, and total immunoglobulins) were progressively suppressed by Pb exposure. On the other hand, the dietary supplementation of cinnamon powder alone significantly enhanced the growth, hemato-biochemical, antioxidant, and immune indices of Nile tilapia. Additionally, dietary CzP significantly mitigated Pb-induced effects in regard to the above-mentioned variables. Exposing Nile tilapia to Pb toxicity induced significant Pb accumulations in the whole-fish body; meanwhile the dietary CzP effectively reduced the Pb accumulation in the body of Pb-exposed fish. Thus, the dietary CzP had several encouraging effects on growth, antioxidant, and immune indices of Nile tilapia. Feeding the Pb-exposed fish with CzP effectively reduced the Pb accumulation in the fish body and offered direct protection against Pb-induced oxidative stress. The findings of the present study suggest that dietary cinnamon can be used as an immune-stimulant for mitigating the effects of heavy metals toxicity in Nile tilapia aquaculture.

The effect of adding Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 in diets on the growth, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance of Rhynchocypris lagowskii

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 on the growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance of Rhynchocypris lagowskii. Fish were fed with the feed containing five levels such as 0, 1.0 × 106, 1.0 × 107, 1.0 × 108, and 1.0 × 109 CFU/g of the B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 for 56 days. After 56 days of feeding, twenty four fish were randomly selected to test various growth, immune and antioxidant parameters. Ten fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days; the mortality rate was recorded 14 days after infection. The results showed that B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 could significantly increase the growth parameters of R. lagowskii's, such as final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and feed efficiency (p < 0.05). Further examination revealed the activity of antioxidant enzymes, Nrf-2 mRNA, and Keap-1 mRNA gene expression in the intestine and liver, and the serum immune index of R. lagowskii in the 1.0 × 108 CFU/g were all significantly higher compared to the other groups. Furthermore, fish fed a diet supplemented with B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) post-challenge mortality rate than the control fish. In summary, the research results showed that B. amyloliquefaciens LSG2-8 could improve the growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance of R. lagowskii and be used in aquaculture.

The effects of dietary protein and fiber levels on growth performance, gout occurrence, intestinal microbial communities, and immunoregulation in the gut-kidney axis of goslings

The current study evaluated the effects of dietary protein and fiber levels on growth performance, gout occurrence, intestinal microbial communities, and immunoregulation in the gut-kidney axis of goslings. A completely randomized 2 × 3 factorial design was adopted with 2 CP levels (180 [18CP] and 220 [22CP] g/kg) and 3 crude fiber (CF) levels (30 [low CF], 50 [mid CF], and 70 [high CF] g/kg). The high CP or low CF diets predisposed the goslings to gout. The high protein diets worsened renal function; serum concentrations of UA and Cr as well as XOD activity in 9-day-old goslings fed 22% CP diets were significantly increased. Although CF levels from 3 to 7% did not directly affect kidney health, increasing CF levels might accelerate the increase of probiotics in the cecum of goslings and withhold maleficent bacteria, alleviating the gut dysbiosis caused by high protein diets. An analysis of the cecal microbiota via 16Sr RNA sequencing revealed that the abundance of Enterococcus in the 22CP group was higher than that in the 18CP group but decreased with increasing CF levels on d 9. The abundance of Lactobacillus increased with increasing CF levels. Additionally, higher serum LPS and proinflammatory cytokine concentrations and upregulated mRNA expression levels in the cecal, tonsil, and kidney tissues indicated that high-protein diets could activate the TLR4/MyD88/NFκB pathway and induce both intestinal and renal inflammation in young goslings. Serum LPS concentrations on d 9 were found to decrease with increasing CF, although altering dietary CF levels did not directly affect the serum immune indices of goslings. In conclusion, the high CP diet exerted a negative effect on gout occurrence, microbial communities, and immunoregulation in the gut-kidney axis of goslings, while appropriately increased dietary fiber levels helped maintain intestinal balance and reduced serum LPS concentration. We propose a diet of 18% CP paired with a 5% CF as the optimal combination for gosling feed.

Moringa oleifera polysaccharide regulates colonic microbiota and immune repertoire in C57BL/6 mice.

This study investigated the effects of Moringa oleifera polysaccharide (MOP) on serum immune indices, immune organ indices, colonic microflora and immune repertoire of mice. Forty male SPF C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups and subjected to gavage of 0, 20, 40 and 60mg/kg MOP for 28days. Mice were sacrificed on the last day of the experiment and their thymus, spleen, blood and colon contents were collected for further detection. Our findings suggested that MOP could significantly increase the thymus index (P<0.01) and spleen index (P<0.05), and significantly decrease the levels of interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α in mice (P<0.05). And MOP could regulate the proportion of colonic microflora of mice, significantly increase the abundance of Muribaculaceae and significantly decrease the abundance values of Proteobacteria, Helicobacter, Stenotrophomonas, etc (P<0.05). In addition, MOP could regulate the usage frequencies of TRBV15 (P=0.06) and TRBV9 (P=0.10) on the TCRα chain and 9 V-J pairs were found to have remarkable usage frequency changes. These results implied that MOP exerted positive effects on the immune performance and intestinal health of mice.

Dietary effects of Clostridium autoethanogenum protein substituting fish meal on growth, intestinal histology and immunity of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) based on transcriptome analysis

The study investigated the dietary effects of Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) substituting fish meal on the growth, intestinal histology, serum immune indexes and transcriptome of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were designed as the control diet (CON) containing 560 g/kg fish meal, and three fish meal-substituted diets in which 30% (CAP-30), 45% (CAP-45) and 70% (CAP-70) fish meal were replaced with CAP, respectively. The four diets were fed to shrimp with initial body weight of 2.78 ± 0.13 g for 8 weeks. The results showed that the weight gain, feed intake, survival and intestinal villus height in CAP-45 and CAP-70 groups were lower than those of the control and CAP-30 groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum aspartate aminotransferase and phenol oxidase activities in all fish meal-substituted groups, and the lysozyme activity in CAP-45 and CAP-70 groups were increased, while the total protein content in CAP-45 and CAP-70 groups was decreased when compared with the control (P < 0.05). Transcriptome profiling of hepatopancreas indicated that high inclusion of CAP negatively affected the protein synthesis and the utilization of nutrients by regulating pancreas secretion, protein digestion and absorption, ribosome pathways, and disturbed the immune system and metabolic processes by phagosomes and lysosomes pathways, thereby affecting the growth performance and immune function of shrimp. In conclusion, CAP could substitute 30% fish meal in a diet containing 560 g/kg fish meal without adverse effects on the growth, intestinal histology and immunity of Pacific white shrimp.

Effect of Dietary Clostridium butyricum Supplementation on Growth Performance, Intestinal Barrier Function, Immune Function, and Microbiota Diversity of Pekin Ducks.

Simple SummaryIn poultry farming, the use of prophylactic antibiotics can lead to increased resistance, so probiotics are a good alternative. Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) has been widely used to improve the gut health of animals. Therefore, we carried out the current study of Pekin ducks supplemented with C. butyricum for a period of 42 days. Here, we found a clear increase in the growth performance of Pekin ducks supplemented with C. butyricum. Moreover, a high level of secretory IgA, IgM, IgG, IL-4, and IL-10 and comparatively higher short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and intestinal tight junction changes were found in Pekin ducks supplemented with C. butyricum. The gut microbial diversity of Pekin ducks supplemented with C. butyricum was clearly different than that of Pekin ducks fed a non-C. butyricum diet. In conclusion, our findings suggest that 400 mg/kg C. butyricum supplementation improved the intestinal health of Pekin ducks by increasing the α-diversity of intestinal microbiota, enhancing the SCFAs contents, and strengthening the intestinal barrier function and immune systems indicating that 400 mg/kg C. butyricum might be a preferable antibiotic alternative for commercial application.Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) is increasingly being used to test the promotion of the gut health of animals. However, the modes of action for such applications for waterfowl remain unclear. Thus, we investigated whether or not intestinal barrier function, immune-related gene expression, and the diversity of the intestinal microbiota in Pekin ducks varied under C. butyricum supplementation. A total of 500 ducks were randomly assigned into five treatments supplemented with basal diets containing: either 0 (group Control), 200 (group CB200), 400 (group CB400) and 600 (group CB600) mg/kg C. butyricum or 150 mg/kg aureomycin (group A150) for 42 days. In comparison with the control group, C. butyricum supplementation enhanced the growth performance and intestinal villus height of Pekin ducks at 42 d. Serum immune indexes and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were all improved at both 21 d and 42 d after C. butyricum addition. The mRNA expression levels of Mucin2, Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Caudin-3, and Occludin increased at 21 d and 42 d and the mRNA expression levels of IL-4 and IL-10 only increased at 42 d after C. butyricum addition. Dietary C. butyricum also resulted in an increase in the number of diversities of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and an increase in the α-diversity of intestinal microbiota. The addition of C. butyricum altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota from 21 d to 42 d. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes showed little changes among groups; however, the relative abundance of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes were found to have been significantly different between the 21 d and 42 d. C. butyricum administration improved the intestinal health of Pekin ducks by increasing the diversity of intestinal microbiota, enhancing the SCFAs contents, and strengthening the intestinal barrier function and immune systems. The optimal dietary supplementation dosage was recommended as 400 mg/kg in the diet.

Effects of group size on the behaviour, heart rate, immunity, and growth of Holstein dairy calves

This study investigated the effect of group size on the behaviour, heart rate, immunity, and growth of Holstein calves. A total of 132 calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments from birth to 46 days of age. These included single housed (S) or group housed with three (G3), six (G6), or twelve calves (G12) with six replicates for each. Behavioural responses were observed at 15, 30, and 45 days of age, and then physiological activities, including heart rate (HR) and saliva secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels, were measured. The serum immune indices of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and growth were measured at 16, 31, and 46 days of age. Group-housed calves exhibited significantly increased self-grooming, allogrooming, locomotive play, social play, exploration, standing, and walking behaviours and decreased lying behaviour (P < 0.05). In contrast, S calves exhibited increased tongue-rolling behaviour than group-housed calves (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant HR difference among the treatments, except for G12 calves at 15 days of age, which yielded the highest HR (118.13 ± 10.73 times/min; P < 0.05) level. Levels of saliva secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) were highest in G12 calves (28.69 ± 1.58 ng/mL), which first decreased and then considerably increased as the S calves (27.41 ± 1.09, 20.60 ± 1.36, and 26.79 ± 1.31 ng/mL; P < 0.05) increased in age. Concentrations of serum IL-2, IL-6, and TNT-α in the group-housed calves were higher than those in the S group (P < 0.05). Body weight (BW) in G12 calves was lower than that of other groups (57.25 ± 1.50 kg; P < 0.05). S calves displayed lower voluntary solid feed intake (VFI) and higher body length (BL) than grouped calves (2.02 ± 0.20 kg, 84.32 ± 0.83 cm; P < 0.05). The withers height (WH) was higher in S and G3 calves than G6 and G12 calves at 46 days of age (90.23 ± 2.21, 89.65 ± 2.18 cm vs 87.88 ± 1.59, 87.25 ± 1.53 cm; P < 0.05). Taken together, our study suggests that before weaning, group-housed calves exhibit more natural behaviours, higher levels of immunity, and solid feed intake than solitary calves.

Effects of music stimulus on behavior response, cortisol level, and horizontal immunity of growing pigs.

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals' welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.

Acupuncture combined with Heixiaoyao powder for children with cerebral palsy and its effect on serum immune indexes and nerve growth related protein

To observe the efficacy of acupuncture combined with Heixiaoyao powder for children with cerebral palsy (liver-qi stagnation, spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome) and its effect on serum immune indexes and nerve growth related protein. A total of 180 children with cerebral palsy were randomly divided into a combined group (60 cases, 2 cases dropped off), an acupuncture group (60 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a Chinese medication group (60 cases, 5 cases dropped off). On the basis of conventional treatment, the children in the combined group were treated with acupuncture [Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenting (GV 24), Benshen (GB 13), 30 min each time, twice a day] and Heixiaoyao powder; the children in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture, and the children in the Chinese medication group were treated with Heixiaoyao powder, the treatment was same with the combined group. All the children were treated for 6 consecutive days and rest for 1 day, totaling for 8 weeks. The Gesell developmental schedules (GDS) and TCM symptom scores were recorded before treatment, after treatment and at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-up visit; the serum immune indexes (IgA, IgG and IgM) and nerve growth related protein [myelin basic protein (MBP), high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), neuronspecific enolase (NSE)] were detected before and after treatment. The clinical efficacy of each group was evaluated. The total effective rate was 91.4% (53/58) in the combined group, which was higher than 80.4% (45/56) in the acupuncture group and 78.2% (43/55) in the Chinese medication group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the GDS scores in the three groups were increased and the TCM symptom scores were reduced after treatment and at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-up visit (P<0.05). The GDS score in the combined group was higher than that in the acupuncture group and the Chinese medication group, and the TCM symptom score was lower than that in the acupuncture group and Chinese medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgM in the combined group were increased (P<0.05), and the serum levels of MBP, HMGBl and NSE were decreased (P<0.05), and the improvements were superior to those in the acupuncture group and the Chinese medication group (P<0.05). Acupuncture combined with Heixiaoyao powder could effectively improve the development quotient in children with cerebral palsy (liver-qi stagnation, spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome), regulate the serum immune indexes and nerve growth related protein levels.

Clinical study on prevention of atopic dermatitis by oral administration of probiotics in infants.

This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of oral administration of probiotics on the incidence and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants. A total of 396 full-term infants were enrolled in this study. Of these, 132 newborns without a family history of AD were assigned to group A, and the other 264 newborns were randomly divided into groups B and C. Infants in groups A and B were solely breastfed, while probiotics were administered to those in group C as well as breastfeeding. The information of all subjects was recorded, and the incidence of AD was followed up. The levels of serum IgE and IL-4 were measured at the age of 3 years. The incidence of AD in infants in group B was higher than that in group A at 3 months, 4-6 months, and 7-36 months after birth, together with increased symptom scores. For infants in group C, the incidence of AD at 4-6 months and 7-36 months after birth and the SCORAD scores at 0-3 months and 4-6 months after birth were lower than those in group B. The levels of IgE and IL-4 in group B were higher than those in groups A and C at 36 months old. Adding probiotics could favor the establishment of the intestinal microecological balance in the neonatal period, thereby reducing the incidence of AD, decreasing the levels of serum immune indexes and alleviating the severity of the disease.

Immunomodulation, antioxidant enhancement and immune genes up-regulation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed on seaweeds included diets

This study investigated the stimulatory effects of dietary inclusion of Gracilariopsis persica (GP), Hypnea flagelliformis (HF) and Sargassum boveanum (SB) on immune indices, antioxidant capability and immune related genes expression of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Seven iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets with 0, 5 and 10% of each macroalgae were prepared and fed to rainbow trout juveniles for 83 days. Serum lysozyme (Lyz) and respiratory burst activity (NBT) along with activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) and expression of LyzII, TNFα and IL-1β genes in head kidney samples were determined by days 47 and 83. Our results revealed that dietary inclusion of seaweeds improved fish immune status. Long term feeding of fish on seaweed contained diets (except for GP10) improved serum Lyz activity in comparison to control group. Similarly, extended feeding on GP5 and HF10 and HF10 included diets improved SOD and POD levels, respectively. Genes expression studies revealed that seaweeds contained diets noticeably enhanced expression of LyzII, TNFα and IL-1β in comparison to control fish. However, results revealed that such stimulatory effects were more evident at lower dietary inclusion level and shorter feeding time. In conclusion, the results depicted that dietary inclusion of the seaweeds effectively improved serum immune indices and head kidney antioxidant status and immune related genes expression in a time and dose dependent manner.