Renata Caminha Gomes

Alveolar macrophage functions during the transition phase to active immunity in calves1

The first three to six months of the life of calves is the period during which active immunity is established. During this period, greater morbidity and mortality is caused by bronchopneumonia, because of the immaturity of the pulmonary immune system or the exaggerated cytotoxic response at subsequent infection. The aim of this study was to examine the maturity of the immune system during this phase of activation of acquired immunity in calves. For this purpose, the functions of phagocytosis and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) of alveolar macrophages CD14+ were evaluated. Further, the classes of immunoglobulins and the cytokines implicated in lymphocyte response patterns Th1 and Th2 in 10 healthy Holstein calves were quantified. Samples were taken from calves every 15 days, from the third to the sixth month of life. The alveolar macrophage CD14+ functions increased progressively until 150 days of age (phagocytosis, P=0.02, ROS, P=0.05), IgG1 and IgG2 isotype secretion reached an equilibrium, and the cytokine profiles were compatible with the Th1 response. At 165 days of age, there was a decrease in cellular function (phagocytosis P=0.02, ROS P=0.04) and an increase in IgG1 titers (P= 0.005) and IL-10 mRNA expression (P=0.09). At 180 days of life, we observed an IgG1 and IgG2 secretion balance, a decrease in IL-10mRNA expression, and an increase in IL-12 mRNA (P=0.04)and TNF-α mRNA expressions(P=0.0003) and alveolar macrophage oxidative metabolism were observed. These results indicate that the calves had an active immune response that was distinctive for the age group. The CD14+ response is more reactive at 150 days. A regulatory and/or humoral response begins at 165 days of life as the equilibrium of Th1 and Th2 profiles is reached at 180 days of life. This may be clinically relevant for the development of specific therapies and prophylactic measures for bronchopneumonia in calves at 135 to180 days of life.

Achados ultrassonográficos da glândula mamária de cabras naturalmente infectadas com o vírus da artrite encefalite caprina

A artrite encefalite caprina e uma virose que esta distribuida mundialmente nos rebanhos. Na forma mamaria, e predominante a mastite cronica, que pode causar assimetria e endurecimento do ubere, mais conhecida como mastite endurativa cronica, levando a reducao na producao leiteira. A ultrassonografia e um bom metodo de avaliacao da glândula mamaria, pois consiste em uma tecnica nao invasiva, rapida e de facil aplicacao. Este estudo objetivou avaliar as caracteristicas ultrassonograficas (escala de cinza, ecogenicidade e homogeneidade) do parenquima mamario de 20 cabras sororreagentes e 20 nao sororreagentes para o virus da artrite encefalite caprina. Observou-se que o diâmetro medio dos linfonodos retromamarios de animais sororreagentes (0,72cm) para o virus da artrite encefalite caprina foi menor (P=0,02) que o dos animais nao sororreagentes (0,93cm). Na analise entre as porcoes do ubere, os valores da escala de cinza do terco distal da porcao caudal do parenquima mamario foram maiores nos animais sororreagentes (P 0,05), exibindo em sua maioria padroes hipoecoicos e heterogeneos. Diante dos resultados, o presente estudo aponta indicios de que a artrite encefalite caprina pode causar alteracoes na escala de cinza mensuraveis pela ultrassonografia, a qual pode ser utilizada como metodo auxiliar eficiente e nao invasivo no monitoramento e diagnostico precoce da mastite endurativa.

Influência da suplementação de vitaminas A, D e E na função imune de bezerros alimentados com dieta á base de feno capim tifton (Cynodon spp.)

Vitamins are organic compounds which are required in small quantities in the body, however essential for the metabolic functions. They participate in numerous metabolic reactions, physiological and immune cells, needed to maintain animal health, as well as act as immunostimulants. Although the diet rich in fresh green foliage provides sufficient amounts of vitamin A, D and E, intensive supplementation with food stored in the form of hay or silage can reduce up to 50% of the levels of these vitamins in food. Given this, the proposal of this study was to verify how the parenteral administration of vitamins ADE acts as immunostimulant in steers fed exclusively with hay of tifton. For that, 14 cattle were divided into two homogeneous groups: Group S, supplemented with vitamin A, D e E given in a single intramuscular dose of 30mL, and Group C without supplementation. Both groups were housed in private stalls and fed with hay for a period of three months. Immune evaluation was performed by blood count and testing of leukocyte function (oxidative metabolism and phagocytosis) in the moments before treatment, three and ten days after the treatments. Considering that supplementation with vitamin A, D e E increased the percentage of granulocytic cell activity and the intensity of the activity of mononuclear cells, as well as intensified the antioxidant effect prolonging the survival of red blood cells and neutrophils, it can be concluded that this treatment had a beneficial effect on the immune response of Holstein calves, despite the damaging effects of exclusive feeding hay, and the partially deprivation of solar incidence.

Perfil citológico pulmonar de bezerros sadios nos três primeiros meses de vida

A citologia e um importante exame complementar utilizado para a deteccao de alteracoes no perfil celular do trato respiratorio e auxilio no diagnostico de doencas. No entanto, como os primeiros meses de vida compoem o periodo de adaptacao a vida extrauterina resultando em possiveis alteracoes das populacoes celulares, e essencial a padronizacao das caracteristicas comuns aos animais sadios, possibilitando a identificacao e analise de qualquer mudanca no quadro esperado. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi caracterizar o perfil celular por citologia do lavado broncoalveolar obtido semanalmente por broncoscopia de dez bezerros durante os tres primeiros meses de vida. A analise estatistica foi realizada utilizando-se o software Minitab® 15.0, empregando-se o teste T pareado para as amostras parametricas e Mann-Whitney para as amostras nao parametricas, considerando nivel de significância P≤0,05. Os resultados obtidos apontaram que o perfil celular do lavado broncoalveolar de bezerros higidos durante os primeiros 90 dias de vida apresentou predominio de macrofagos, com media geral de 63,17%, seguido de 33,69% de neutrofilos. Porem observou-se diminuicao significativa na porcentagem de macrofagos (P=0,04) e aumento de neutrofilos (P=0,05) ao longo dos momentos, comprovada pela forte correlacao negativa entre as porcentagens de macrofagos e neutrofilos ao longo dos momentos. Nao houve diferenca entre as porcentagens de celulas gigantes, celulas epiteliais, linfocitos, eosinofilos e basofilos durante o experimento. Apesar dos resultados serem influenciados por fatores ambientais e de manejo, os resultados dessa pesquisa fornecem subsidios para a identificacao de alteracoes criticas que descaracterizem o perfil celular de bezerros acometidos por doencas respiratorias.

Conformação de úbere de caprinos da raça Saanen: parâmetros estéticos ou funcionais?

ABSTRACTSeveral predisposing factors are described for mammary diseases or secondary disorders that compromise the quality and productivity of milk from females in different species. The phenotypic characteristics of the udder are considered in the economic evaluation of a female goat, whether for production potential, or as the genealogical record for these females. The limitation of studies correlating these features with the udder health raises doubt about the meaning of the conformation to the health and productivity of the mammary gland. Therefore, this study aimed to list the parameters of the udder conformation with the cellularity of the mammary gland checked by California Mastitis Test (CMT) and somatic cell count (SCC) in 80 Saanen goats without alterations in the clinical examination of the mammary gland or the Tamis test. It was observed that most of the phenotypic parameters of the udder did not influence the CCS, being considered purely esthetic. The circumference and udder depth showed negative correlation with the cellularity and moderate to high heritability traits can be considered parameters for genetic selection of goats.