Effects of heat stress on the formation of splenic germinal centres and immunoglobulins in broilers infected by Clostridium perfringens type A

Author(s)

Calefi, AtIlio Sersun ^{[1, 2]} ; de Siqueira, Adriana ^[2] ; Namazu, Lilian Bernadete ^[1] ; Costola-de-Souza, Carolina ^[1] ; Takashi Honda, Bruno Bueno ^[1] ; Piantino Ferreira, Antonio Jose ^[1] ; Quinteiro-Filho, Wanderley Moreno ^[1] ; da Silva Fonseca, Juliana Garcia ^[1] ; Palermo-Neto, Joao ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Pathol, Neuroimmunomodulat Res Grp, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Pathol, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY; v. 171, p. 38-46, MAR 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

Avian necrotic enteritis (NE) induced by Clostridium perfringens is a disease that affects mainly the first weeks of poultry's life. The pathogenesis of NE is complex and involves the combination of several factors, such as co-infection with different species of coccidia, immunosuppression and stress. Stress is one of the main limiting factors in poultry production. Although several studies emphasized the effects of stress on immunity, few works analyzed these effects on immunoglobulins and on germinal centres (GCs), which are specialized microenvironments, responsible for generating immune cells with high affinity antibodies and memory B-lymphocytes. Thus, the effects of heat stress associated or not with thioglycolate broth culture medium intake and/or C. perfringens infection on corticosterone serum levels, spleen GCs development and immunoglobulin production in broilers were evaluated. Results showed that heat stress, thioglycolate and C perfringens per se increased corticosterone serum levels, although this was not observed in heat stressed and thioglycolate and C. perfringens-treated chickens. The serum levels of IgA, IgM and IgY were differently affected by heat stress and/or infection/thioglycolate. Heat stress decreased the duodenal concentrations of sIgA, which was accompanied by a reduction in GCs number in the duodenal lamina propria; a trend to similar findings of sIgA concentrations was observed in the chickens' jejunum. Changes in spleen and Bursa of Fabricius relative weights as well as in spleen morphometry were also noted in heat stressed animals, infected or not. Together, these data suggest that heat stress change GCs formation in chickens infected or not, which that may lead to failures in vaccination protocols as well as in the poultries' host resistance to infectious diseases during periods of exposure to heat stress. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/03103-2 - Evaluation of heat stress on the development of necrotic enteritis due to Clostridium perfringens in broilers
• Grantee: Atilio Sersun Calefi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 13/17408-2 - Effects of heat stress on immunity of broilers in an experimental model of avian necrotic enteritis
• Grantee: Atilio Sersun Calefi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 09/51886-3 - Neuroimmunomodulation: drugs, stress and cytokines on nervous, endocrine and immune systems relationships
• Grantee: João Palermo Neto
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants