Functional comparison of heterophils isolated from commercial broiler chickens.
Heterophils from two pure lines (A and B) of commercial broiler chickens were isolated on days 1, 4, and 7 post-hatch to evaluate their ability to (1) phagocytose Salmonella enteritidis (SE) (2) degranulate when exposed to immune-IgG opsonized SE, and (3) produce an oxidative burst. On days 1 and 4, heterophils from line A were functionally more efficient compared to heterophils from line B (p<0.05). By 7 days post hatch, heterophil functions for both lines were comparable. To further study the inheritance of heterophil functional efficiency, F1 reciprocal crosses (line C=male Bxfemale A; line D=male Axfemale B) were evaluated for functional activity and compared with the immunologically efficient (A) and non-efficient (B) parent lines. Heterophils from line D had a more efficient heterophil function (p<0.05) when compared to heterophils from C. These results suggest that heterophil function and efficiency can be genetically transferred to progeny. Moreover they indicate that heterophil function is sex-associated and genetically controlled by the rooster since progeny of line A males maintained immunologically efficient characteristics whereas heterophils from the progeny of line B roosters remained immunologically inefficient. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe a functional relationship between pure and F1 reciprocal crosses of broiler chickens with regard to heterophils and the innate immune response.
USDA-Agricultural Research Services, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, 2881 F & B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
Christina L
CL
Swaggerty
Igal Y
IY
Pevzner
Virginia K
VK
Lowry
Morgan B
MB
Farnell
Michael H
MH
Kogut
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000276:immunology; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis