Introduction. Carpathian Mountains are a place which favoured formation of the main breed characteristics of Hutsul horses. We think different climate conditions influence to the isolated populations of Hutsul horses. It is reflected at the level of horses’ adaptation to changing environmental conditions by different reactions in contact with pathogens. Differences are expected for the bactericidal properties of blood serum of Hutsul horses living in the conditions of high mountains, middle height mountains and the pre-Carpathians. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore indicators of nonspecific resistance of the organism of Hutsul horses living in the conditions of high mountains of the Carpathians, the middle height mountains of the Carpathians and the pre-Carpathians. Materials and methods. The blood samples of healthy Hutsul horses living in the conditions of high mountains of the Carpathians, the middle height mountains of the Carpathians and the pre-Carpathians were studied. To assess the status of horses morphological and biochemical indicators of blood were studied. Peripheral blood samples were selected from horses before early feeding by puncture of the jugular vein according to the standard technique into test tubes with anticoagulant (10 IU/ml) and without it. To obtain serum the blood samples were centrifuged. To study the resistance of animals in the whole blood the index of completed phagocytosis (ICF) was determined, in the serum of blood bactericidal activity (BABS), lisozyme activity (LABS), total protein and its fractions were determined. To determine lisozyme and bactericidal activities culture of Міcrococcus lisodecticus АТСС 10240 та Bacillus subtilis АТCC 6633 was used respectively. Statistical processing of the results was conducted according to the procedures of G. F. Lakin using Microsoft Excel software. Results and discussion. Exploring the parameters of nonspecific resistance of the organism of Gutsul horses from different climate zones, differences were revealed for cellular immune parameters depending on the localization of the horses. For individuals living at altitudes of 1600 meters above sea level the index of completed phagocytosis was lower. The bactericidal and lisozyme activities of blood serum were lower for horses living in highland, than for horses in pre-Carpathian region and the middle height lands. These facts suggest the view that the nonspecific resistance intensity is lower for natives of the mountains as compared with animals, whose habitat is limited to the terms of the pre-Carpathians and middle height lands. The protein fractions content from blood serum of horses is typical. So, deviations from the norm of the total protein were not revealed, however, difference in the percentage content of protein fractions was noticeable. For animals of middle height lands, and from the pre-Carpathians, in contrast to animals living in highland, the content of albumin and α-globulins was higher but content of γ-globulins was slightly reduced. Fractional composition of proteins from the blood serum is a diagnostic indicator of the animal organism. The higher content of albumin fraction is indicator of the more stable organism to changing conditions, i.e. its adaptive capabilities are better. Thus, horses living in the middle height lands and the pre-Carpathians are better adapted to changing environmental conditions than their highland relatives. On the other hand, the increased levels of γ-globulin in highland Hutsul horses are indicator of compensatory mechanism of nonspecific protection in the organism, especially on the background of lower indicators of cellular immunity and nonspecific humoral factors. At the same time, in this group of horses the level of α-globulin was low relatively. It is evidence of pathological state absence in organisms of the experimental animals, as proteins of this fraction are the informants of the stressful situation intensity and probable inflammation in a body. It is known that levels of some blood components depend on height above sea level. We have shown that for the horses living in the pre-Carpathians and middle height lands the characteristic of protein content is similar, but for the representatives of highland the difference in the same indicators is statistically significant. Analysis of the cellular and humoral factors of nonspecific resistance showed weaker intensity of the indicators in the horses from high altitudes. Trend to increase of indicators was at horses living in middle height mountains, and the highest was at horses from the pre-Carpathians. Conclusions. It is established the nonspecific resistance indices of an organism in the Hutsul horses depend on localization of individuals above sea level. So, the intensity of nonspecific resistance of an organism in the animals kept under conditions of the Carpathian highlands is lower as compared with animals, whose habitat is limited to the terms of the pre-Carpathians and middle height lands. These representatives have lower level of ICF, BABS, LABS, α-globulin. Also the level of γ-globulins is the highest compared with the Hutsul horses from the Carpathian Mountains and middle height lands and that may be a trait of compensatory mechanism of nonspecific protection of an organism. The indicators of nonspecific resistance of an organism show a similar pattern for representatives from pre-Carpathians and middle height lands, statistically significant differences are noted only for LABS, which is higher in horses living in the pre-Carpathians.
Horses of Gutsul horse breed are native breed for Gutsul region of Eastern Carpathians. Skilled human using performance-keeping livestock of farm animals influence primarily on to the adaptive and protective properties of the body of farm animals. The study aimed to research the age and sex characteristics of natural resistance of Gutsul breed horses will promote the formation of measures to improve animal productivity, and will promote for all-round understanding of the unique breed postembryonic during ontogeny. The studies aim was to investigate age dynamics of non-specific resistance of the organism Gutsul breed horses of different sexes. The study was conducted during the 2013-2017 years. The blood samples (n = 96) of healthy horses (n = 28) Gutsul breed were analyzed. Material for the study was given from horses that were in proper diet and kept under the same conditions of Pre-Carpathians. The horses age and sex categories were formed as follows: foals 6 months (just weaned), 1 year, 1.5 years; mares and stallions aged 2 and 3 years; mares (blank), horses (before coupling period), geldings aged 6, 9, 12. To study the resistance of animals in whole blood such parameters were determined: protein fractions, amount of total protein of serum of blood, bactericidal activity of serum of blood (BASB), lysocym activity of serum of blood (LASB) index of completed phagocytosis (ICP). Analysis of non-specific resistance of the organism in the classic cluster for these studies (total protein, protein fractions, BASB, LASB, ICP) found that Gutsul breed horses are well adapted to living conditions in the territory Pre-Carpathians in all chosen by our time. The value of the studied parameters depended on the age and sex of the individual from whom the samples. To the onset of puberty horses the content of total protein increased its value. In all age categories the content of total protein was higher in stallions. Later, with age, although the total protein was increasing, but it was not significant when comparing the results for each gender in particular. Protein fractions of Gutsul breed horses recorded that the foals had the highest relative content of albumin, the lowest - γ-globulins. With age, albumin content changed in waves, but the albumin / globulin ratio remained high in the 12-year-old individuals with almost identical values for particles and geldings and mares, but indexes of ratio were significantly higher for stallions. The relative content of γ-globulin fraction of horses of different sexes increased with age, and in mares, starting year and a year and half of age, content γ-globulin was significantly higher than the rates the content of the fractions in the blood stallions appropriate age. Differences of γ-globulin fractions between mares and geldings were statistically unreliable. The dynamics of age changes BASB and LASB set like jump improving of these indicators from 6 months to a year and a year and half old and continue their stabilization occurred at 85-91-89% for BASB and 25-31-27% for LASB to mares, stallions, geldings, respectively. The indexes of ICP were already high at 6 months of age (0,84-0,9 st.un.). The level of adult the indexes of ICP out in the first year of life (for 0,87-0,93-0,89 st.un. for mare-stallions and geldings, according to). Thus, both humoral and cellular resistance performance is not constant. These indexes changed according to physiological status. In stallions, compared with mares, almost all ages favor and ICP indicators were higher. The content of γ-globulins were lower, while in females, respectively, recorded an opposite picture. Most indicators of natural resistance of the organism geldings were lower than stallions, showing the same trend, similar to the body of female horses.
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