title: Effects of maternal selenium supply and plane of nutrition during gestation on passive transfer of immunity and health in neonatal lambs.
abstract: To investigate the influence of maternal Se supply and plane of nutrition on lamb morbidity, mortality, and passive transfer of IgG, pregnant ewe lambs were used in 2 experiments with 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangements. Supplementation of Se began at breeding and was either adequate Se (ASe, 9.5 μg/kg of BW) or high Se (HSe, 81.8 μg/kg of BW) in Exp. 1 or ASe (11.5 µg/kg of BW) or HSe (77.0 µg/kg of BW) in Exp. 2. On d 50 or 40 of gestation for Exp. 1 or 2, respectively, ewes were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 nutritional planes: 60% (RES), 100% (control, CON), or 140% (HI) of NRC requirements. This resulted in the following treatments: ASe-RES, ASe-CON, ASe-HI, HSe-RES, HSe-CON, and HSe-HI. Upon parturition, lambs were separated from their dams and serum samples obtained. Lambs were fed artificial colostrum for the first 20 h and then placed on milk replacer and grain pellets until completion of the study (Exp. 1, 57 d; Exp. 2, 21 d). Twenty-four hours after parturition, lamb serum samples were collected for IgG analysis. All lambs were reared similarly and morbidity and mortality assessed. Main effects were considered significant when P ≤ 0.05. In Exp. 1, there was a Se × plane of nutrition interaction (P ≤ 0.01) for lamb morbidity from birth to weaning and for 24-h IgG concentration. Lambs from ASe-RES and HSe-HI ewes were treated more frequently (P < 0.01) for respiratory and gastrointestinal disease, and lambs from HSe-HI ewes had the smallest (P < 0.01) 24-h serum IgG concentration. In Exp. 1, lambs from HI ewes also had the greatest (P < 0.01) mortality rates from birth to weaning compared with lambs from CON and RES ewes. In Exp. 2, there was an effect (P < 0.01) of maternal plane of nutrition with lambs from RES ewes having increased 24-h IgG compared with lambs from CON and HI ewes. There was no effect of maternal Se supplementation on lamb 24-h IgG in Exp. 2; however, there was a Se × plane of nutrition interaction (P < 0.01) for morbidity. From birth to 21 d of age, lambs from ASe-CON ewes had fewer (P < 0.01) treatment days compared with lambs from any of the other treatment groups. There also tended (P = 0.08) to be an effect of maternal Se supplementation on lamb mortality with increased mortality observed in lambs from HSe ewes. Results from the studies show a restricted maternal plane of nutrition can increase lamb serum IgG concentration. Selenium results were not consistent between the 2 experiments and may be due to differences in maternal Se.
authors: Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy, Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58108, USA.
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Hammer
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Thorson
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Meyer
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Redmer
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Luther
authors: T L
authors: TL
authors: Neville
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Reed
authors: L P
authors: LP
authors: Reynolds
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Caton
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Vonnahme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000276:immunology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008098:Litter Size / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000276:immunology*; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012643:Selenium