The effect of salinomycin on the immune response of chicks

The effect of salinomycin drug on the immune system of chickens was investigated. By using the recommended dose 60 mg/kg feed salinomycin was given as anticoccidial drug continuously for 49 days. There was no noticeable significant effect on the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) Vaccine. A drastic immunosuppressive effect was manifested by using a dose of 120 mg/kg and characterized by lowered titers of antibodies to NDV, decrease in the relative weight of lymphoid organs, lowered mitogenic response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) with reduction of heterophils percentage, as well as reduced protection rate to intramuscular challenge with the velogenic viscerotropic (VV) strain of NDV.

Application of Corynebacterium cutis lysate as an immune stimulant in cattle

An ultrasonicated lysate of Corynebacterium cutis (Ultracorn, Virbac, France) was administered to 10-day-old calves, 5-month-old calves, and pregnant dams kept under Egyptian environmental conditions. Ninety-five calves and 50 dams were used in the study. All animals were treated with 2 ml/100 kg body weight of killed C cutis. Its effects on body weight gain and on calf mortality and morbidity were recorded. The results obtained showed that treated calves had greater weight gains, reduced susceptibility to common viral pathogens, and lower mortality. When given simultaneously with rinderpest vaccine, an immunopotentiating or adjuvant effect was seen. Thus, treated calves had higher neutralizing antibody titers to rinderpest as compared with untreated calves. When administered to pregnant cows in the last month of pregnancy, the offspring of these animals had higher birth weight, better weight gain, and reduced morbidity.