THE DETECTION OF RELATIVE mRNA EXPRESSION OF CYTOKINE IN CHICKENS AFTER Enterococcus faecium EF55 ADMINISTRATION AND Salmonella enterica Enteritidis INFECTION

Summary: Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, LITAF, iNOS, and LyTact chemokine at the caecum and spleen of experimentally infected chicks with S. enterica serovar Enteritidis SE147 preventively treated with Enterococcus faecium EF55. One-day-old ROSS 308 female chicks (100) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=25). The chicks of the probiotic (EF) and Salmonella+ probiotic (EFSE) groups received per os E. faecium EF55 (109 CFU/day) from 1 to 7 days of the experiment. The birds of the Salmonella (SE) and EFSE groups were perorally infected with Salmonella Enteritidis SE147 in a single dose (108 CFU) on Day 4 of the experiment. The preventive administration of E. faecium EF55 showed higher, however no significant, mRNA levels of studied proinflammatory cytokines and LyTact chemokine except of iNOS in caecum of EFSE experimental group of chicks mainly at Day 1 after S. Enteritidis SE147 infection compared to other groups. In contrast, the dynamics of cytokine/chemokine gene specific responses in caecum are not correlated with responses in the spleen

Effect of lignin supplementation of a diet contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on blood and intestinal lymphocyte subpopulations in chickens

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of lignin supplementation of a diet contaminated with the Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) on peripheral blood leukocytes and duodenal immunocompetent cells in broiler chickens. From day 1 after hatching, all chickens were fed an identical control diet for two weeks. Then chickens of Group 1 continued to be fed the control diet, whereas Group 2 was fed the same diet supplemented with lignin at 0.5% level. Simultaneously, Group 3 started to receive a diet contaminated with DON (2.95 mg kg−1) and ZEA (1.59 mg kg−1), while Group 4 received an identical contaminated diet supplemented with 0.5% lignin for further two weeks. Samples of blood and duodenal tissue were collected from 6 birds of each group at 4 weeks of age. Neither counts of white blood cells nor phagocytic function in the peripheral blood were significantly affected in the mycotoxin- and/or lignin-treated birds. As compared to the control, increased numbers of IgM-bearing cells were found in the peripheral blood in Group 3 fed the contaminated diet (P < 0.05) and in Group 4 given the contaminated diet supplemented with lignin (P < 0.01). While the contaminated diet led to reduced numbers of duodenal CD4+ cells, in Group 2 treated only with lignin the number of duodenal CD4+ cells was increased. Lignin enrichment of the contaminated diet did not eliminate the mycotoxin-induced reduction in the number of duodenal CD4+ cells. The results suggest that dietary supplementation of lignin as an indigestible compound to poultry feed may increase the density of some intestinal immunocompetent cells without exerting effects on that in the peripheral blood. However, when added to a diet contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins, lignin did not prevent the mycotoxin-induced changes in the numbers of blood and intestinal immunocompetent cells

Production of Intestinal Mucins, sIgA, and Metallothionein after Administration of Zinc and Infection of <i>Ascaridia galli</i> in Chickens: Preliminary Data

The effect of inorganic zinc and Ascaridia galli infection was studied on MUC1, MUC2 (mucin), sIgA (secretory immunoglobulin A), and metallothionein in the intestines of broilers. Thirty-five-day-old chickens (n = 24), COBB 500 breed, were included in a 14-day experiment. Chickens were divided into 4 groups of 6 chickens each: control ©, Ascaridia galli (AG), Zinc group (Zn), and combined group (AG + Zn). Samples from the intestine for determination of MUC1, MUC2, sIgA, and metallothionein were taken at 7 and 14 days during necropsy. Samples from the jejunum for determination of MUC1, MUC2, sIgA, and metallothionein were taken at 7 and 14 days during necropsy. The results demonstrated that 12 days’ administration of inorganic zinc increased production of MUC1 (p p Ascaridia galli-infected group (Ag + Zn) in comparison to control (C). The beneficial effect of zinc was also revealed in the production of sIgA (p p Ascaridia galli-infected chickens