Novel heterophile chicken antigen: immunohistochemical localization using antisera to Mycobacterium smegmatis and possible association with lymphocyte maturation

Effects of Photoperiod on the Performance, Blood Profile, Welfare Parameters, and Carcass Characteristics in Broiler Chickens

We studied the effects of photoperiods on the growth performance, blood profile, welfare parameters, and carcass characteristics of broilers. A total of 336 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 4 treatments (84 birds per treatment with 4 replicates), based on the following lighting regimen: 24 h continuous light (24L), 18 h continuous light (18L:6D), 8 h continuous light (8L:16D), and intermittent light (4L:2D). Body weight and feed intake of 7- and 35-day-old broilers were measured. At 5 weeks of age, 12 birds per treatment were selected for blood collection and carcass analysis. Body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake were the lowest in the 8L:16D treatment (p < 0.05). The heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, aspartate aminotransferase, interleukin-6, and corticosterone levels in the 24L treatment increased significantly when compared to that in the 18L:6D treatment (p < 0.05). The footpad dermatitis score was significantly lower in the 18L:6D and 8L:16D treatments than in the 24L and 4L:2D treatments (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the carcass and meat characteristics, except for the shear force of breast meat (Pectoralis major), which was the lowest in the 8L:16D treatment (p < 0.05). These results indicate that a photoperiod of 18 h resulted in an improvement in the performance and welfare of birds and a simultaneous decrease in stress level. However, further research is needed to establish a lighting regimen that satisfies both the productivity and welfare requirements of broilers in different feeding phases.

Effects of meniran (Phyllanthus niruri L.) administration on leukocyte profile of broiler chickens infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Meniran extract (Phyllanthus niruri L.) administration on leukocyte profile of broiler chickens infected with Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

Materials and Methods

Thirty broiler chickens, 21 days old were divided into five treatment groups. P0 (-): Chickens without any treatment; P0 (+), P1, P2, and P3: Chickens were infected with M. gallisepticum 10⁸ cells/ml/animal orally, then given no treatment, Meniran extract 60%, 62.5%, and 65% orally at a dose of 1 ml/kg body weight, respectively. The treatment of Meniran extract was given for 7 days.

Results

Leukocyte count with the lowest number showed in Group P0 (-) and Group P3 (p>0.05). Increased number of basophils was found in Group P0 (+), Group P1, and Group P2. The highest number of heterophils was found in Group P0 (+) and was significantly different from Group P0 to P3 (p<0.05). The same pattern was also seen in the number of lymphocytes in all treatment groups. The number of monocytes showed no significant difference between all treatment groups (p>0.05).

Discussion

Increased the number of leukocytes is often observed in inflammation due to general infections, trauma, or toxicity. Shifting in the number of heterophile or lymphocytes, an increase in the number of monocytes, basophils, and eosinophils may also be associated with various infectious or inflammatory conditions. Heterophils play a role as an antibacterial defense through several effective mechanisms. When infections and inflammation occur, the heterophils will increase to phagocytosis microbe.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that Meniran extract (P. niruri L.) at a dose of 65% can decrease the total number of leukocytes in broilers infected with M. gallisepticum.

Use of Phaseolus vulgaris leukoagglutinating lectin in histochemical and blotting techniques: a comparison of digoxigenin- and biotin-labelled lectins

An increase in the number of beta 1,6 branches of the trimannosyl core of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides has been shown to be directly correlated with the metastatic potential of cultured tumour cells. The Phaseolus vulgaris leukoagglutinating lectin (PHA-L) binds to beta 1,6 branches of tri- and tetra-antennary oligosaccharides. We have applied digoxigenin- and biotin-conjugated PHA-L to establish a non-radioactive detection system for beta 1,6 branches, which can be used in lectin blotting as well as light and electron microscopic cytochemistry. For this purpose the HCT116 human colon carcinoma cell line and colon carcinoma tissue were investigated. Digoxigenin-conjugated PHA-L in conjunction with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-digoxigenin antibodies was superior to biotin-conjugated PHA-L in lectin blotting with respect to sensitivity and specificity. Similarly, the digoxigenin conjugated PHA-L in conjunction with gold-labelled anti-digoxigenin antibodies resulted in more intense specific staining and lower background compared to biotin-conjugated PHA-L visualized with a streptavidin immunogold complex. The specificity of lectin binding in blotting and cytochemical studies was demonstrated by the absence of staining when the lectin was omitted or preabsorbed with glycoprotein, and following pretreatment of the cellular homogenates or tissue sections by N-glycosidase F. Our results demonstrate that digoxigenin-conjugated PHA-L provides high sensitivity and specificity for histochemical and blotting techniques and is amenable for quantification. The technique should have applications in tumour research.

Increased expression of highly branched N-linked oligosaccharides terminating in N-acetylglucosamine residues in neoplastic and sclerodermal chicken fibroblasts

Although neoplastic cells often show a shift towards the expression of larger N-linked oligosaccharides compared to their normal counterparts, little consideration has been given to the possibility that these changes might be a more general phenomenon characteristic of certain neoplastic and non-neoplastic proliferative disorders. Terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) cluster antigen (TGCA) is an immunoreactive epitope(s) of highly branched N-linked oligosaccharides terminating in GlcNAc residues. Here we have compared the expression of this antigen in normal, neoplastic and sclerodermal chicken fibroblasts by immunomorphological methods. TGCA was detectable in only a few, if any, fibroblasts of normal chicken skin or those cultured from chicken embryos. In contrast, the antigen appeared in 15 to 30% of chicken embryo fibroblasts transformed with avian sarcoma viruses and about 50% of neoplastic fibroblasts of both Rous sarcoma virus-induced fibrosarcomas and carcinogen-induced transplantable fibrosarcomas. Significantly, TGCA was also found in most activated fibroblasts in the skin of chickens with hereditary scleroderma. These results indicate that increased expression of highly branched N-linked oligosaccharides terminating in GlcNAc residues is characteristic of both neoplastic and sclerodermal chicken fibroblasts. Investigation of this phenomenon may thus provide insight into biochemical pathways involved in neoplastic transformation and pathogenesis of a number of non-neoplastic proliferative connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma. Moreover, changes in the expression of TGCA-positive oligosaccharides (or their modified biochemical counterparts in mammalian species) may have considerable value for diagnosis of several connective tissue diseases.

Immunohistochemical study of ontogeny and phylogeny of a terminal N-acetylglucosamine cluster antigen

In this work an immunohistochemical method was used to study the ontogeny and phylogeny of a terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) cluster antigen which is an epitope(s) of highly branched N-linked oligosaccharides terminating in GlcNAc residues. The ontogenic studies demonstrated that expression of the antigen is developmentally regulated in lymphocytes, epithelial cells of endodermal origin and kidney mesangial cells of the chicken. The antigen was found in several other avian species studied, namely, the Japanese quail, duck, goose and turkey. Furthermore, the distribution of the antigen in all these species was similar. In adult animals, it was found in bursal and thymic lymphocytes, macrophages, spleen reticulum cells, epithelial cells of the intestine and bronchioles and capillary endothelial cells. The antigen was also detected in epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract of several lower vertebrates studied: the amphibian (frog), reptile (chameleon) and fish (rainbow trout). It was undetectable in various organs of the human, African green monkey, calf, pig, rat and guinea-pig, but was found in the intestinal epithelial cells of ten mouse strains. It is likely that biosynthetic processing leading to the formation of highly branched N-linked glycans terminating in GlcNAc residues is conserved during evolution in birds and other lower vertebrates.

Identification of terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues of highly branched asparagine-linked oligosaccharides as immunoreactive domains of a chicken heterophile antigenic determinant

Chicken heterophile antigenic determinant (CHAD-1) has been previously found in medullary lymphocytes of the bursa and thymus as well as in some non-lymphoid cells by the immunoperoxidase method, using rabbit antiserum to a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) as the first antibody. In this work we demonstrated that absorption of anti-CFA serum with highly purified preparations of hen egg white glycoproteins (ovomucoid, ovoinhibitor, ovalbumin) or chicken orosomucoid completely blocked immunoperoxidase staining for CHAD-1. Treatment of these glycoproteins with beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase suppressed their capacity to inhibit this staining. Absorption of anti-CFA serum with asparagine-linked glycopeptides which have the mannose alpha 1,3 arm disubstituted by GlcNAc residues and which have another GlcNAc residue linked beta 1,4 to the beta-linked mannose of the core also inhibited staining for CHAD-1. These data indicated that highly branched asparagine-linked oligosaccharides with terminal GlcNAc residues beta-linked to mannose represent immunoreactive domains of CHAD-1.