Webb R Eric, Leslie David M, Lochmiller Robert L, Masters Ronald E
Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Nov;136(3):577-89. doi: 10.1016/s1095-6433(03)00209-5.
We examined effects of supplementation of food quantity and quality (=enhanced methionine) on hematologic and immunologic parameters of wild, but enclosed, adult male cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in north-central Oklahoma. Sheet metal enclosures were stocked with a high density of wild-caught cotton rats (160 animals/ha) and randomly assigned a treatment of no supplementation, mixed-ration supplementation or methionine-enhanced supplementation. Aside from small increases in counts of red blood cells and hematocrit levels, most indices of erythrocytic characteristics were not affected by supplementation with the mixed-ration or enhanced methionine. In contrast, platelet counts were highest in mixed-ration and methionine treatments and counts of total white blood cells were highest with methionine supplementation, albeit relative proportions of different leukocytes did not differ among treatments. Immunologically, neither delayed-type hypersensitivity response nor hemolytic-complement activity differed among treatments. Supplementation of food quantity and quality did not broadly affect hematologic parameters and immune function of male cotton rats, but enhanced platelet and leukocyte counts may confer advantages to overall health. Clarification of the role of such effects on population limitation or regulation requires additional research.
我们研究了食物数量和质量的补充（即增加蛋氨酸）对俄克拉荷马州中北部圈养野生成年雄性棉鼠（刚毛囊鼠）血液学和免疫学参数的影响。金属板围栏中高密度放养了野生捕获的棉鼠（160只/公顷），并随机分配为不补充、混合日粮补充或蛋氨酸强化补充处理。除了红细胞计数和血细胞比容水平略有增加外，大多数红细胞特征指标不受混合日粮或强化蛋氨酸补充的影响。相比之下，混合日粮和蛋氨酸处理组的血小板计数最高，蛋氨酸补充组的白细胞总数最高，尽管不同白细胞的相对比例在各处理组之间没有差异。在免疫学方面，各处理组之间的迟发型超敏反应和溶血补体活性均无差异。食物数量和质量的补充并未广泛影响雄性棉鼠的血液学参数和免疫功能，但血小板和白细胞计数的增加可能对整体健康有益。阐明这种影响在种群限制或调节中的作用需要更多的研究。
