Bolhuis J Elizabeth, Parmentier Henk K, Schouten Willem G P, Schrama Johan W, Wiegant Victor M
Ethology Group, Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences (WIAS), Wageningen University, Postbox 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Physiol Behav. 2003 Jul;79(2):289-96. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(03)00090-8.
The impact of environmental factors on immune responses may be influenced by coping characteristics of the individuals under study. The behavioral response of pigs in a so-called Backtest early in life seems indicative of their coping style at a later age. The present study investigated the effects of housing, barren versus enriched, and coping style, as assessed by Backtest classification, on immune responses of pigs. Pigs were housed either without a rooting substrate (barren housing) or in identical pens enriched with deep straw bedding (enriched housing) from birth. During the suckling period, pigs were subjected to the Backtest. Each pig was restrained on its back for 1 min and the resistance (i.e., number of escape attempts) was scored. Pigs classified as 'high-' or 'low-resisting' (HR and LR, respectively) were immunized with di-nitrophenyl-conjugated keyhole limpet haemocyanin (DNP-KLH) at 9 weeks of age. Blood samples were drawn before immunization (Day 0) and weekly thereafter, until Day 35. KLH-specific lymphocyte proliferation following immunization was higher for HR pigs than for LR pigs. Housing did not affect proliferative responses. Housing and coping style interacted in their effect on KLH-specific humoral immune responses. LR pigs from barren housing showed higher KLH-specific antibody titers than LR pigs from enriched housing. Differently housed HR pigs, however, showed similar antibody titers. These findings support other research indicating that individual coping styles of pigs are reflected in their immune responses. More important, the present study demonstrates that effects of housing on humoral immune responses of pigs may differ for pigs with divergent coping styles.
环境因素对免疫反应的影响可能会受到所研究个体应对特征的影响。仔猪早期所谓的“背侧试验”中的行为反应似乎预示着它们日后的应对方式。本研究调查了饲养环境（贫瘠与丰富）以及通过背侧试验分类评估的应对方式对猪免疫反应的影响。仔猪从出生起就被饲养在没有垫料的环境中（贫瘠饲养）或饲养在装有厚垫草的相同围栏中（丰富饲养）。在哺乳期，仔猪接受背侧试验。每头仔猪被仰卧束缚1分钟，并记录其反抗能力（即逃脱尝试次数）。被分类为“高反抗”或“低反抗”（分别为HR和LR）的仔猪在9周龄时用二硝基苯基偶联的钥孔戚血蓝蛋白（DNP-KLH）进行免疫。在免疫前（第0天）及之后每周采集血样，直至第35天。免疫后，HR仔猪的KLH特异性淋巴细胞增殖高于LR仔猪。饲养环境不影响增殖反应。饲养环境和应对方式在对KLH特异性体液免疫反应的影响上存在交互作用。来自贫瘠饲养环境的LR仔猪比来自丰富饲养环境的LR仔猪表现出更高的KLH特异性抗体滴度。然而，不同饲养环境下的HR仔猪表现出相似的抗体滴度。这些发现支持了其他研究，表明猪的个体应对方式反映在其免疫反应中。更重要的是，本研究表明，对于具有不同应对方式的猪，饲养环境对其体液免疫反应的影响可能不同。
