Different Borrelia species and serotypes were tested for their sensitivity to serum complement from various animals and human. Complement-mediated Borrelia killing in cattle, European bison and deer was higher irrespective of the Borrelia species whereas in other animals and human it was intermediate and Borrelia species-dependent. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by particular Borrelia strain was in correlation with its sensitivity or resistance. These results support the incompetent reservoir nature of cattle, European bison, red, roe and fallow deer, at the same time present the probable reservoir nature of mouflon, dog, wolf, cat and lynx. In short, this study reviews Borrelia-host relationship and its relevance in reservoir competence nature of animals.

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The study compared the effect of dietary supplementation with an inorganic or organic source of zinc (Zn) on mucin 2 (MUC-2) and IgA gene expression, the cytokines IL-17 and TGF-β4 and the secretory IgA content (sIgA) in broiler jejunum. One-day-old chickens were fed an unsupplemented basal diet (BD) or the same BD supplemented with 30 or 70 mg/kg of added Zn from ZnSO 4 ·H 2 O or Zn chelate of glycine hydrate for 40 days. The highly expressed MUC-2 and IgA genes were observed in both groups supplemented with the low-dose Zn sources (30 mg/kg). A higher sIgA concentration was observed in both the ZnSO 4 groups and the glycine-zinc/30 mg group. Our data indicate that the organic Zn chelate has better availability than the inorganic Zn source, and the low-dose Zn diets proved to be more beneficial to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis. ARTICLE HISTORY

In the present study the effect of preventive application of <I>Enterococcus faecium</I> EF 55 on the intestinal mucosa was evaluated in experimentally infected chickens with <I>Salmonella enterica</I> subsp. <I>Enteritidis</I>. A total of 120, one-day-old <I>Salmonella</I>-free chickens of Isa Brown hybrid were divided into 4 groups. The chickens in groups E and ES were perorally inoculated with <I>E. faecium</I> EF55 in a dose of 1 × 109 CFU/ml for 7 consecutive days. Placebo was applied to birds in control group C and group S during the first 7 days of life. At the age of 8 days chickens in groups ES and S were perorally infected with <I>S. enterica</I> subsp.<I> Enteritidis</I> phage type 4 in a dose of 1 × 108 CFU/ml. In birds treated with <I>E. faecium</I> EF 55 (group ES) a decreased number of <I>Salmonella</I> spp. positive individuals was recorded from 28.5% 2 days post infection (p.i.) to 10% 14 days p.i. when the difference between group ES and group with the application of <I>Salmonella</I> Enteritidis alone (group S) was significant (<I>P</I> < 0.01). On the contrary, in birds of group S the percentage of <I>Salmonella</I> spp. positive animals showed no constant changes. It increased from 12.5% 2 days p.i. to 37.5% 4 days p.i. The maximum of positive samples 83.3% was found 14 days p.i. The application of <I>E. faecium</I> EF55 reduced colonisation of caeca and minimized translocation of salmonellae into the liver and spleen. Two days p.i. the shortest villi in the jejunum were observed in group S – 1 266.2 µm, when compared to group E with the highest jejunal villi – 1 605 µm (<I>P</I> < 0.05). The growth of the villi was observed 14 days p.i. in all groups except group S. The early exposition of chickens to <I>E. faecium</I> EF55 led to more rapid development of intestinal villi when compared to the untreated control (P < 0.05). Reduced colonisation of the intestinal tract by salmonellae in birds treated with <I>E. faecium</I> EF 55 also preserved the microenvironment of the intestine from harmful effects of the pathogen.

The protective effect of Enterococcus faecium EFAL41 on chicken's caecum in relation to the TLR (TLR4 and TLR21) activation and production of luminal IgA challenged with Campylobacter jejuni CCM6191 was assessed. The activation of MIF, IFN-β, MD-2 and CD14 was followed-up after bacterial infection. Day-old chicks (40) were divided into four groups (n = 10): control (C), E. faecium AL41 (EFAL41), C. jejuni (CJ) and combined E. faecium AL41+C. jejuni (EFAL41+CJ). Relative mRNA expression of TLR4, TLR21 and CD14 was upregulated in the probiotic strain and infected (combined) group on day 4 and 7 post infection (p.i.). The caecal relative MD-2 mRNA expression was upregulated on day 4 p.i. in the EFAL41+CJ and CJ groups. MIF and IFN-β reached the highest levels in the combined groups on day 7 p.i. The concentration of the sIgA in intestinal flush was upregulated in EFAL41+CJ group on day 4 p.i. The results demonstrated that E. faecium EFAL41 probiotic strain can modulate the TLRs expression and modify the activation of MIF, IFN-β, MD-2 and CD14 molecules in the chickens caecum challenged with C. jejuni CCM 6191. The counts of EFAL41 were sufficient and high, similarly the counts of enterococci in both, caecum and faeces but without reduction of Campylobacter counts.

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.

1. This experiment was to investigate the effects of natural dietary contamination with a mycotoxin product (deoxynivalenol: DON) and/or with dietary selenised yeast (Se-yeast), on respiratory burst and phagocytic activity of granulocytes and the frequency of B- and T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood of broilers. 2. Sixty one-day-old chicks of both sexes were divided into 4 groups, each of 15 birds, fed on a control diet that contained 0.2 mg DON/kg and 0.4 mg Se/kg (CON group), a diet supplemented with 1 mg Se-yeast/kg (Se-yeast group), a diet contaminated with 3 mg DON/kg (DON group) or a diet contaminated with DON and supplemented with Se-yeast (DON plus Se-yeast group). 3. Blood samples collected from the birds at the age of 4 weeks showed that neither B- and T-cell numbers nor granulocytic respiratory burst were influenced by 3 mg DON/kg. Blood granulocyte phagocytic activity was not reduced by DON but numbers of heterophils were increased. In the DON plus Se yeast group phagocytic activity was the same as in the CON group. The Se-yeast and DON plus Se-yeast groups had increased numbers of CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+) T-cells as well as IgM(+) B-cells in their blood compared to both CON and DON-groups. 4. The results show there is no significant effect of dietary DON up to 3 mg/kg on leukocytes apart from the compromised blood granulocytes phagocytic activity and increased numbers of heterophils. The increased numbers of B- and T-lymphocytes in blood of birds fed on diets with supplementation of organic Se indicates some positive effects of this essential microelement on poultry lymphoid cells.