The study aimed to investigate and characterize the maternal effects of feeding Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boularddii (Scb) to sows from late-gestation through lactation on progeny cortisol, immune status, and stress responsiveness from birth to 14 days post-weaning. Eighty-four piglets were born to sows fed control (CON) or probiotic (PRO) boluses twice daily for 59 days. Blood samples were obtained at birth and 24 h later to assess prenatal effects; 7, 14, and 21 day-of-age to assess potential developmental effects; and at 24 h, 7, and 14 days post-weaning to assess the effects of weaning stress on immune and cortisol responses. Pigs born to PRO sows had less robust cortisol response and enhanced immune parameters at birth and 24 h later, indicating less stress. In response to weaning, pigs born to and nursed by PRO sows displayed unique cortisol and immune profiles than CON pigs. These results indicate that feeding sows Scb probiotics during late gestation reduces stress responsiveness to farrowing stress while increasing immune cell populations. Pigs nursed by PRO sows had a more robust initial cortisol response and enhanced neutrophil function and B-cell lymphocyte proliferation in response to weaning stress. These data imply it may be possible to maternally alter immune and stress responses in utero and during suckling in the short-term and up to 14 days post-weaning. However, more research is needed to optimize this strategy.
During preconditioning, modified-live vaccines are frequently administered to beef calves before weaning. In this study, we began to characterize the immune phenotype of calves that received a modified-live vaccination at 3–4 months of age and then either received the same modified-live or an inactivated vaccine upon arrival at the feedlot (weaning) and 28 days post-arrival (booster). Innate and adaptive immune measures were assessed before revaccination and 14 and 28 days post. Heifers that received three doses of the modified-live vaccine exhibited a relatively balanced immune response based on increases in mean cytokine concentrations (IL-17, IL-21) and total immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and subsets IgG1 and IgG2, which are related to both arms of the adaptive immune system. Conversely, heifers that received one dose of modified live and two doses of the inactivated vaccine had a more robust neutrophil chemotactic response and greater serum-neutralizing antibody titers, resulting in an enhanced innate immune and a skewed proinflammatory response. These results indicate that the revaccination protocol used after initial vaccination with a modified-live vaccine differentially influences the immune phenotype of beef calves, with three doses of modified live inducing potentially immune homeostasis and a combination of modified live and inactivated vaccines inducing a skewed immune phenotype. However, more research is needed to determine the protective efficacy of these vaccination protocols against disease.
The use of probiotics in swine production may be an alternative to antibiotics for both disease prevention and growth promotion. Limited data exist on their potential to modulate offspring immune function when fed solely to the dam. A study was designed to assess the potential immunomodulatory effect of maternal supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (scb) from gestational day 84 until the end of lactation (21-d period) on the immune status of the progeny in short- and long-term. A total of 84 female piglets born to 18 sows (n = 9/treatment) fed two boluses at 0600 h of either Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CMCN-1079 (probiotic; PRO) or sugar (control; CON) were randomly selected at farrowing (n = 42/sow treatment). Blood samples were taken at birth (0), 1, 7, 14, 21 (weaning), 28, and 35 days-of-age to assess cortisol and descriptive and functional measures of the immune system of the progeny. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with repeated measures. At birth, pigs born to CON-sows had greater (P< 0.001) plasma cortisol and % lymphocytes, but pigs born to PRO-sows had greater % neutrophils (P< 0.001). Progeny from PRO-sows had a greater (P< 0.001) percent natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity at 14 days-of-age, whereas progeny from CON-sows had greater (P< 0.001) concanavalin-A induced proliferation index at 21 days-of-age. Despite limited treatment x age effects, overall treatment effects with PRO progeny had greater (P< 0.001) C5a- and IL-8 neutrophil chemotaxis than CON. Conversely, progeny from PRO-sows had greater (P< 0.001) NK cytotoxicity and lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation index than CON. These data imply that there are few short- and long-term effects of scb on the immune status of the progeny, and maternal supplementation may be an opportunity to modulate the immune status of the progeny up to 35 days-of-age.
In order to examine the effects of vaccine type and timing of crossbred beef calves (n = 151) were assigned to one of three BRD vaccination protocols stratified by breed of sire, sex, and date of birth, which included: (1) KM—a pentavalent killed viral (KV) vaccine at 2 to 3 months of age (D 0) and a pentavalent modified-live viral (MLV) vaccine at weaning (D 127); (2) MM—MLV on D 0 and revaccinated on D 127 or (3) WN—MLV at weaning and D 140. Vaccination treatment did not affect performance nor BRSV serum-neutralizing antibody titers. Serum-neutralizing antibody titers to BVDV-1 were greatest for the MM through D 154. However, following booster (KM) or initial vaccination (WN) at D 127, titers increased for the other treatment groups to higher values (KM) by the end of the study. Delay of initial vaccination until weaning may have delayed specific antibody response in the WN group and skewed the immune response towards a Th-1 or cell-mediated response. Overall, the inclusion of an MLV in the vaccine protocol resulted in a more robust antibody response, and the timing of vaccination may affect the onset of efficacious and robust vaccine responses.
Vaccination is one mechanism used as a preventative measure to decrease morbidity and mortality due to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), but vaccination efficacy is inconsistent. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the effect of inactivated (INA) vs. modified live (MLV) viral vaccines on the immune phenotype of weaned beef calves. Mixed-sexed pens with equal numbers of heifers and steers were randomly assigned to receive either INA (Vira Shield 6) or MLV (Titanium 5) treatments at d 0 (initial) and a booster (28 d). A subpopulation of heifers (n = 28) and steers (n = 18) were identified from these treatment pens and balanced for treatment. Samples were obtained prior to vaccination and 14 and 28 d post-initial vaccination and again at 14 and 28 d post-booster. All animals were weighed on collection days. Data were analyzed using either GLM or MIXED procedures of SAS with repeated measures. A treatment × day interaction occurred on cortisol at 14 d post-initial vaccination; the MLV calves had greater (P = 0.05) cortisol than INA calves. At 28 d post-initial and 14 d post-booster, MLV calves had greater (P < 0.05) total IgG and isotypes IgG1 and IgG2. MLV had greater (P < 0.05) cytokine concentrations associated with either humoral or cell-mediated immune responses. Conversely, serum neutralizing antibodies for antigens associated with the vaccine were significantly greater in INA calves than in MLV (P < 0.05). Calves receiving MLV were heavier (P < 0.05) at the end of the study. These data imply that vaccination protocol resulted in differential immune phenotypes. More specifically, calves receiving the MLV vaccine phenotype indicated stimulation of both the humoral and cell-mediated response. In contrast, the INA phenotype was indicative of a bias towards a humoral response. Further research should be done to determine the protective value of these phenotypes.
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