Short heat stress as an immunostimulant in chicks.
The effect of 1 hour exposure of seven 1-week-old chicks to heat stress (41.5-42.5 degrees ) on their antibody titre after antigenic stimulation with E.coli bacteria was assessed. Exposure to heat 24 or 96 hours after immunisation resulted in a significant increase in antibody titres while heat treatment 42 or 72 hours after vaccination caused a non-significant increase in antibody titres. Heat exposure for 2 hours, 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours after immunisation either with E. coli or sheep red cells (SRBC) resulted in significantly increased antibody titres. When a number of antibody forming cells (against SRBC) in the spleens were tested, heat treated chicks showed no significant increase compared with the non-treated group. Heat-exposed chicks phagocytised Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (as measured by their disappearance from the blood) more rapidly than the non-treated group.
Heller
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ED
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Nathan
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DB
Perek
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M