title: The effects of environmental enrichment and transport stress on the weights of lymphoid organs, cell-mediated immune response, heterophil functions and antibody production in laying hens.
abstract: The effects of environmental enrichment and transport stress on the immune system were investigated in laying hens. A total of 48 1-day-old chickens were used, half of the chickens were reared in conventional cages (RCC) and the rest in enriched cages (REC). Transport stress was applied in the 17th week. Liver weight decreased, spleen and bursa of Fabricius weights, white blood cell count, CD4+ and CD8+ cell proportions increased due to the transport. Environmental enrichment significantly increased antibody production and tended to increase monocyte percentage and CD8+ cell proportion. The effect of transport on, heterophil (H) and lymphocyte (L) percentages was not significant in RCC chickens. While heterophil percentage and H:L ratio increased, lymphocyte percentage decreased in REC chickens subjected to transport. Transport stress increased heterophil functions both in REC and RCC chickens, but the increase was higher in REC hens than in RCC hens. In conclusion, although environmental enrichment did not neutralize the effect of transport on lymphoid organs, it activated the non-specific immune system, cellular and the humoral branches of the specific immune system by increasing heterophil functions, CD8+ cells and antibody production, respectively. Therefore, environmental enrichment suggested for improving animal welfare may also be beneficial to improve the immune system of birds exposed to stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matur
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Akyazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Evren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eraslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ergul Ekiz
authors.affiliation: Balikesir University, Bandirma Vocational High School, Bandirma, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eseceli
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keten
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Metiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Istanbul, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aktaran Bala
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D020378:Confined Spaces; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000276:immunology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile
keywords: T cell; environmental enrichment; heterophil functions; poultry; transport stress