title: The innate immunity of wild Eurasian beaver from Poland - present knowledge and the need for research.
abstract: For the first time we tried to examine the basic parameters of innate immunity in beavers for developing the new methods of prevention against infectious diseases in different reintroduction and translocation programmes in Poland. The aim of the present study was to determine the selected innate immunity parameters in Eurasian beavers living in natural conditions. The analyses of the results showed that the phagocytic ability (RBA) and potential killing activity (PKA) of blood phagocytes were higher in adult beavers compared to the young animals. The similar pattern was observed in proliferative response of blood lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens Concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The highest proliferative response in adult Eurasian beavers was observed. The ceruloplasmin activity in plasma was on similar levels in adult and young Eurasian beavers. The results of humoral mediated immunity showed that the lysozyme activity, total protein and gamma-globulin levels in serum were higher in adult beavers compared to the young beavers. The results of this preliminary study are important in comparative and clinical immunology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pomianowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giżejewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Małaczewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Patrycja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Siwicki
keywords: Castor fiber; Eurasian beaver; immune system; natural environment