Distribution difference of colostrum-derived B and T cells subsets in gilts and sows

Abstract

Piglets are highly vulnerable to infections, but colostrum provides them with some protection. The function of colostrum components is unknown, as is if the amount and subsets of leukocytes in colostrum differ between gilts and sows. This study serially characterized leukocyte populations in colostrum for differential leukocyte counts. Differences in humoral and cellular composition of colostrum between 40 gilts and 40 sows (parities orders 3–4) from a commercial herd were examined. Flow cytometry is a useful tool to identify and quantify leukocyte subsets in sow colostrum. Overall, there were no (p ≥ 0.05) parity differences in total macrophages, granulocytes, and T and B cells. However, the sows’ colostrum presented significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) T lymphocyte subsets than gilts, such as central memory CD4+T cells, effector memory CD4+T cells, and central memory CD8+T cells. Among B-lymphocytes, percentages of SWC7+CD5+ cells were significantly higher in sow colostrum than in that of gilts. As expected, IgG concentrations were significantly higher in sows than in gilts. Colostrum from sows had significantly greater mitogenic activity than colostrum from gilts and this fact can be associated with the potential to accelerate the maturation of a newborn’s gastrointestinal tract. Our findings suggest that parity order may be one among other factors influencing the cell population and, consequently, the immune adaptive response in piglets that induces neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses to antigens.

The influence of source of porcine colostrum in development of early immune ontogeny in the piglet

“…Although the concentration of IgM in the colostrum observed in the present study did not present differences between gilts and sows, the IgG content was higher in sows, which is consistent with previous results 17,21−23 . However, this was not re ected in the concentration of IgA in the total colostrum of the current study, with no differences between primiparous and multiparous sows, contrasting with several recent studies 22,23 , but with similar results to previous studies of our group 24 . These differences may be due to responses to nutritional changes 25 , as well as the genetic advances and moment when the colostrum sample are collected 26 .…”

“…The gate was performed as described in our previous work (Forner et al, 2021). In summary, the gate was based on forward scatter (FSC) and side scatter (SSC) properties for estimation of the lymphocyte population and debris exclusion, whereas doublet cells were subjected to doublet by plotting the forward scatter height (FSC-H) against the forward scatter area (FSC-A).…”

Milk Immune Cell Composition in Dromedary Camels With Subclinical Mastitis

“…The contribution of the different cell types to the cellular compartment of milk differs according to species. While macrophages are the predominant cells in healthy human and bovine milk ( 17 , 18 ), the majority of cells in sow and goat milk have been identified as milk granulocytes ( 19 – 21 ). The assessment of the cellular composition of milk, including the absolute counting of somatic cells and the differential proportions of immune cell subpopulations is widely accepted as a valuable tool for the evaluation of the health status of the mammary gland ( 22 – 24 ).…”

“…In contrast to the microscopic evaluation of the cellular composition of milk, which depends on the subjective evaluation of low numbers of milk cells ( 26 , 27 ), flow cytometry has the advantage of measuring high cell numbers within a short time, maximizing repeatability of test results. Flow cytometric protocols for the analysis of milk cell composition and viability have been described for several species including cattle ( 28 ), goats ( 19 , 20 ), sheep ( 29 ), pigs ( 21 ), and humans ( 30 ).…”

Utilization and reproductive performance of gilts in large-scale pig farming system with different production levels in China: a descriptive study

“…Since the gilts are still in the growth stage, their physical development and reproductive performance are different from that of the sows [ 7 , 12 , 13 ]. To the best of our knowledge, the utilization and reproductive performance of gilts have not been entirely evaluated.…”