The effect of feeding a Lactobacillus-based probiotic on intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) subpopulations and subsequent protection against coccidiosis was investigated in broiler chickens. Day-old male broilers were fed standard rations without control (CONT) or with a commercial probiotic (PROB) Primalac. Differences in IEL subpopulations were assessed by flow cytometry at 21 d postprobiotic treatment. At 25 d of age, a group of randomly selected birds from each diet was inoculated orally with 10,000 (per bird) sporulated oocysts of Eimeria acervulina and kept on the same diets. Fecal material, sera, and intestinal washes were collected 10 d postchallenge with E. acervulina. Birds on the PROB diet had more IEL expressing the surface markers CD3, CD4, CD8, and alphabetaTCR than those of the CONT diet. The probiotic-fed chickens produced less oocysts (P < 0.0001) compared to the untreated, control group (368 x 10(6) in CONT vs. 89 x 10(6) in PROB). The interferon-gamma levels in both serum and intestinal secretions were not significantly different between the two groups. However, CONT group showed higher antibody levels against a recombinant coccidial antigen in the intestinal secretions than the PROB group. No significant difference was found in serum antibody levels against the same antigen. These results dearly indicate that the probiotic bacteria impacted the local immune response as characterized by altered IEL subpopulations and increased the birds' resistance to E. acervulina as reflected by reduced oocyst shedding.
Three trials were conducted with recently weaned pigs (n = 198) to determine the effects of feeding different types of clay in conjunction with aflatoxin-contaminated diets. In Trial 1, pigs (n = 54; trial length 4 wk) were assigned to either an uncontaminated treatment (NC), 800 ppb of aflatoxin from contaminated corn (AC), or AC with one of four clays. In Trial 2 (n = 81; trial length 5 wk), pigs were assigned to NC, AC (500 ppb of aflatoxin from rice starch), or AC with one of seven types of clay. In both trials, pigs fed AC had decreased ADG and gain:feed ratios (P < .05) compared with controls. The clays differed in their ability to produce gains similar to those of controls. The clays did reduce changes in the serum measurements normally affected by aflatoxin, including albumin, total protein, gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, in a manner similar to their effect on ADG. In Trial 3, pigs (n = 63) were assigned to one of seven diets for 4 wk: NC, AC (800 ppb of aflatoxin) with no clay, AC with one of four levels of a treated Ca bentonite (.25, .5, 1, and 2%), or AC and .5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate. The addition of treated Ca bentonite to AC improved ADG (P < .05) and ADFI (P < .01) linearly. Gain:feed ratios were not affected by treatments. The inclusion of treated Ca bentonite to the AC diet linearly decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and quadratically decreased ALP and GGT levels (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A 2 X 2 factorial experimental design consisting of four treatments (0, 2.5 microgram/g aflatoxin, 2.0 microgram/g ochratoxin A, and 2.5 microgram/g aflatoxin + 2.0 microgram/g ochratoxin A) with six replicates of 10 birds each was used to evaluate the synergism between aflatoxin and ochratoxin A. The chicks (Hubbard X Hubbard) were maintained on these dietary treatments from hatching until they reached 3 weeks of age, when the experiment was terminated. The size of the liver, spleen, pancreas, and proventriculus was significantly (P less than .05) altered by the individual toxins; however, a synergistic effect on the size of these organs was not observed. The kidney and gizzard were sensitive to the coincident exposure to these mycotoxins and were significantly (P less than .05) enlarged. The kidney was the most sensitive organ to the combined toxicity of aflatoxin and ochratoxin A, and nephropathy was the most important characteristic of this interaction. The synergism between aflatoxin and ochratoxin A significantly (P less than .05) decreased growth rate and numerically increased mortality, demonstrating the enhanced toxicity of cocontaminated feed. Liver lipid levels were significantly (P less than .05) increased by aflatoxin and decreased by ochratoxin A. The interaction of both mycotoxins on this parameter was significant (P less than .05) and the combined effect demonstrates that ochratoxin A inhibited lipid accumulation normally induced by aflatoxin. The data show that toxicity-enhancing synergisms exist between mycotoxins and that symptom patterns are altered during multiple mycotoxicoses. The data also demonstrate that nephropathy is the primary effect of this interaction and, thus, is of diagnostic importance.
From hatch to 18 d of age broilers were fed starter diets with (0.9 kg/ton) or without direct fed microbial (DFM). At 18 d, birds were weighed and, within DFM treatment (trt), randomly assigned to battery pens. In Exp 1, a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of nutrient density [control (C, 19.3% protein (CP), 0.84%, Ca 0.37% nonphytin P (nPP); and 17.1% CP, 0.8% Ca, and 0.3% nPP in the grower (Gr) and finisher (Fn) diets, respectively) and moderate (M) (17% CP, 0.69% Ca, 0.30% nPP; 15% CP, 0.66% Ca, 0.25% nPP in the Gr and Fn diets, respectively)] and DFM concentration [0 or 0.9 kg/ton (++)] was used. Exp 2 was a 2 (DSM at 0 and 0.45 kg/ton) x 3 (nutrient densities) factorial. Exp 2 included a low (L) nutrient density that differed from diet M only in Ca and nPP concentrations and an added trt, diet M with 0.45 kg/ ton DFM as in Exp 1. At the end of the Gr and Fn weight, feed efficiency, apparent nutrient retention were determined, and 4 birds per pen were sampled for tibia ash. In Exp 2, gains in the Gr phase were 1,122.0, 983.7, 1,121.5, 930.7, and 1,151.5 g in birds fed the C, M, M+, L, and L+ diets, respectively. Addition of DFM to the M diet overcame the negative effect of nutrient concentration on performance but not when the L diet was fed. Nutrient level and DFM affected apparent protein, Ca, and P retention at 32 or 42 d of age with retention increasing as nutrient level decreased and with DFM added to the diet. Ca and P retention at 28 d (Exp 1) was higher in birds fed M++ (45.8 and 46%, respectively) than in those fed the C diet (38.7 and 40.0%, respectively). Feeding the M and L diets resulted in lower tibia ash than that of birds fed the C diet, but the addition of DFM to low nutrient diets overcame this negative effect.
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