Department of Tissue Biology of Chemical Communication, IRSEA - Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, 84400 Apt, France.
Department of Molecular Biology of Chemical Communication, IRSEA - Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, 84400 Apt, France.
Poult Sci. 2020 Dec;99(12):6300-6306. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.08.076. Epub 2020 Sep 12.
Stress is an important cause of illness and mortality in chick production. Stressors such as manipulation, absence of maternal care, transport, and housing can lead to welfare issues, immunodepression, and decreased productivity. The mother hen uropygial secretion analogue (MHUSA), a synthetic analog of a maternal semiochemical secretion, has been proven to protect chicks and broilers against stress, significantly reducing the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of the MHUSA on chicks' stress when single-sprayed on their fluff at the age of 1 d. Two-hundred eighty ROSS 308 chicks were included in the study. At day 1, each chick received a spray of 200 μL of a 2% MHUSA aqueous solution (140 chicks) or the same amount of the excipient (control group, 140 chicks), and then chicks were housed in 2 separate rooms. To assess the persistence of the MHUSA after this single application, fluff was sampled from 10 chicks every day for 7 d and at day 13 and 19, weighed, placed in dichloromethane, and analyzed by gas chromatography. Blood smears and the bursa of Fabricius were collected every 3 d from 10 chicks of each group for 36 d to assess the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the bursa weight-to-BW ratio, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis showed that the MHUSA was present on chick fluff until day 5. The statistical analysis revealed that the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was lower in the MHUSA group at day 4, 7, and 9 (P < 0.0001 for day 4 and 7; P = 0.0377 for day 9). The bursa weight-to-BW ratio was significantly higher in the MHUSA group than in the control group from day 4 until day 29. These results confirm the beneficial effects of the MHUSA on chicks' adaptation to the new environment and on bursa of Fabricius development, suggesting its potential role in improving chicks' immune response.
应激是家禽生产中疾病和死亡率的一个重要原因。应激源如操作、缺乏母性关怀、运输和饲养环境等会导致福利问题、免疫抑制和生产力下降。母鸡尾脂腺分泌物类似物（MHUSA）是一种母源半化学物质分泌的合成类似物，已被证明可以保护小鸡和肉鸡免受应激，显著降低异嗜性粒细胞与淋巴细胞的比值。本研究旨在测试在 1 日龄时对小鸡绒毛进行单次喷雾 MHUSA 对小鸡应激的影响。本研究共纳入 280 只 ROSS 308 小鸡。在第 1 天，每只小鸡接受 200μL 2% MHUSA 水溶液（140 只小鸡）或等量赋形剂（对照组，140 只小鸡）喷雾，然后将小鸡饲养在 2 个单独的房间中。为了评估单次应用后 MHUSA 的持久性，每天从 10 只小鸡身上采集绒毛样本，持续 7 天，并在第 13 天和第 19 天进行称重，放入二氯甲烷中，并通过气相色谱进行分析。从每组的 10 只小鸡中每隔 3 天收集血液涂片和法氏囊，以评估异嗜性粒细胞与淋巴细胞的比值和法氏囊重量与 BW 的比值，共 36 天。气相色谱分析显示，MHUSA 存在于小鸡的绒毛中，直到第 5 天。统计分析表明，在第 4、7 和 9 天，MHUSA 组的异嗜性粒细胞与淋巴细胞的比值较低（第 4 天和第 7 天 P < 0.0001；第 9 天 P = 0.0377）。从第 4 天到第 29 天，MHUSA 组的法氏囊重量与 BW 的比值明显高于对照组。这些结果证实了 MHUSA 对小鸡适应新环境和法氏囊发育的有益作用，提示其在改善小鸡免疫反应方面的潜在作用。
