[Detection of immunity and antioxidant indexes in dairy cows infected with Cryptosporidium].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the immune status and antioxidant system indexes of cows infected with Cryptosporidium.


METHODS
Fecal samples of 325 dairy cows were collected at a farm in Anhui and examined by floating saturated solution. 7 positive cows and 7 negative cows from the farm were selected as infection group and non-infection group, respectively. Blood samples were taken from cow's jugular vein before feeding in the morning. 19 indexes of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), IgG, IgM, IgA, phagocytic rate of white blood cells, T lymphocyte transformation rate, IL-2, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), NO, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TG), Cl-, and Ca2+ were tested, respectively.


RESULTS
The infection rate of 325 cows was 31.7% (103/325). The Cryptosporidium was identified as C. andersoni according to the morphology and size of oocysts. Compared with the non-infection group, there was no significant difference in the concentration of TP, ALB, IgM, IgA, GSH-Px, ALT, AST, ALP and Cl- (P > 0.05). The concentration of MDA and NO in the infection group increased by 59.9% and 28.1% (P < 0.05 or 0.01), and that of IgG, SOD, GLU, TG, Ca2+, IL-2 and the activities of T lymphocyte transformation rate, phagocytic rate of white blood cells decreased by 32.9%, 11.1%, 18.6%, 78.9%, 14.5%, 7.0%, 22.0%, and 20.2%, respectively (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The change of antioxidant and immune indexes shows that the capability of eliminating free radicals and the immune function have decreased in the Cryptosporidium andersoni-infected cows.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
Qing-Xin
QX
Zhou
Jin-Chun
JC
Li
Qian-Ming
QM
Xu
Chang-Cheng
CC
Zhao
Xi-Chun
XC
Wang
Ju-Hua
JH
Wang
Wei
W
Liu
Pei-Ying
PY
Li
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D010587:Phagocytosis; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase