학술논문

Effects of divergent selection upon adrenocortical activity on immune traits in pig
Document Type
Report
Source
BMC Veterinary Research. March 4, 2019, Vol. 15 Issue 1
Subject
Influence
Analysis
Genetic aspects
Health aspects
Adrenocortical hormones -- Analysis -- Health aspects
Swine breeds -- Genetic aspects -- Health aspects
Immunity (Physiology) -- Analysis -- Genetic aspects
Divergent evolution -- Influence -- Health aspects
Animal experimentation
T cells
Lymphocytes
Hormones
Mitogens
B cells
Glucocorticoids
Sustainable agriculture
Brain
Corticotropin
Steroids (Organic compounds)
EDTA
Pituitary hormones
Sustainable development
Swine
Animal welfare
Language
English
ISSN
1746-6148
Abstract
Author(s): Julie Hervé[sup.1] , Elena Terenina[sup.2] , Karine Haurogné[sup.1] , Elodie Bacou[sup.1] , Elizaveta Kulikova[sup.3] , Marie Allard[sup.1] , Yvon Billon[sup.4] , Jean-Marie Bach[sup.1] , Pierre Mormède[sup.2] and Blandine Lieubeau[sup.1] [...]
Background The sustainability of farming and animal welfare requires the reconsideration of current selection schemes. In particular, implementation of new selection criteria related to animal health and welfare should help to produce more robust animals and to reduce anti-microbial use. The hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis plays a major role in metabolic regulation and adaptation processes and its activity is strongly influenced by genetic factors. A positive association between HPA axis activity and robustness was recently described. To explore whether selecting pigs upon HPA axis activity could increase their robustness, a divergent selection experiment was carried out in the Large White pig breed. This allowed the generation of low (HPA.sup.lo) and high (HPA.sup.hi) responders to adrenocorticotropic hormone administration. Results In this study, we compared 23 hematologic and immune parameters of 6-week-old, HPA.sup.lo and HPA.sup.hi piglets and analysed their response to a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) two weeks later. At six weeks of age, HPA.sup.hi piglets displayed greater red blood cell and leucocyte number including CD8[alpha].sup.+ [gamma][delta] cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, naive T helper (Th) cells and B lymphocytes as compared to HPA.sup.lo individuals. The ability of blood cells to secrete TNF[alpha] in response to LPS ex vivo was higher for HPA.sup.hi pigs. At week eight, the inflammatory response to the LPS in vivo challenge was poorly affected by the HPA axis activity. Conclusions Divergent selection upon HPA axis activity modulated hematologic and immune parameters in 6-week-old pigs, which may confer an advantage to HPA.sup.hi pigs at weaning. However, HPA.sup.lo and HPA.sup.hi piglets did not exhibit major differences in the parameters analysed two weeks later, i. e. in 8-week-old pigs. In conclusion, chronic exposure to high cortisol levels in HPA.sup.hi pigs does not negatively impact immunity. Keywords: Stress, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, Cortisol, LPS challenge, Genetics, Robustness, Immunity