Species-specific in vitro immune responses in cohabiting animals on a low-input farm

Summary

Abstract
Objective / Purpose: The cost-effectiveness of raising animals depends primarily on their health and welfare, while losses from infectious diseases could be relatively high when the technology is disregarded. Low-input farms, where cohabitation of various species is frequent, provide outdoor free-roaming and also offer the opportunity for extensive locomotion and sunlight, considered key factors for health and welfare. The study aimed at investigating the immune potential of cohabitants (pigs, bovine and sheep) from a low input farm by testing their in vitro reactivity to stimulation.
Material and Methods: The research was carried out on blood samples from bovine (n=5), pigs (n=7) and sheep (n=15) cohabiting on the same low-input farm. To monitor the in vitro blast transformation capacity of lymphocytes, the blood was mixed 1:4 with RPMI1640 (Sigma Aldrich, USA), divided in 200µl aliquots in duplicate in 96 well-plates and supplemented with a mitogen (PHA), alcohol control and alcoholic extract of Symphytum officinale, 1.5 µl/well. The plates were incubated at 37⁰C (72 h-ruminants, 48 h-pigs), residual glucose was quantified spectrophotometrically (SUMAL PE2, Karl Zeiss, Jena) and stimulation indices were calculated (SI %). The groups were compared by Student’s t test for statistical significance of the results.
Results: The spontaneous SI was higher in cows (55.7± 10.3%) while PHA induced SI was higher in swine (64.61±7.88%, p<0.05) than in bovine (53.2±9.21%) and sheep (37.81±5.08%). The Symphytum officinale extract exerted a significantly increased (p<0.05) stimulating effect in pigs (59.88 versus 41.33%, p<0.05), but not in bovine or sheep.
Conclusion / Discussion: Considering the similar influential factors acting on cohabiting animals on a low-input farm, there was a species-specific response of the immune system to stimulation, and presumably disease, which the Symphytum officinale extract could influenced.
Acknowledgements
The work was supported by grant ERANET Core Organic Co-fund ROAM Free #249 ⁄ 2021