Kulka Marek, Szopa Iwona Monika, Klockiewicz Maciej
Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 6;15(13):1988. doi: 10.3390/ani15131988.
Environmental impact plays a pivotal role in forming the welfare of shelter dogs exposed to chronic stress. Standard methods of animal health monitoring, such as psychological evaluation or cortisol measurements, do not fully reflect modulation of the immune system. Functional cellular changes may be subtle and observed only at the molecular level. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the immune function of shelter dogs kept on different timetables in comparison with client-owned dogs. We focused on potential alterations of antigen processing by neutrophils and monocytes in animals undergoing different durations of stress. Hematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated, and changes in TLR4 and MHC Class II expression on neutrophils and monocytes isolated from peripheral blood were determined. Additionally, we measured the percentage of apoptotic cells within these leukocyte populations. Our study revealed that stressful conditions can alter the molecular pattern of surface receptors on neutrophils and monocytes, as well as the leukocytes apoptosis rate. The obtained data also indicated that the dogs' duration of stay in the shelter plays an important role in immunomodulation and triggering their adaptation mechanisms. These results bring a new perspective and will be crucial in developing improved guidelines for monitoring and promoting the welfare of shelter dogs.
环境影响在形成暴露于慢性应激的收容所犬只的健康状况方面起着关键作用。动物健康监测的标准方法，如心理评估或皮质醇测量，不能完全反映免疫系统的调节情况。功能性细胞变化可能很细微，只能在分子水平上观察到。因此，本研究的目的是与宠物主人饲养的犬只相比，对处于不同时间表的收容所犬只的免疫功能进行表征。我们关注经历不同应激持续时间的动物中嗜中性粒细胞和单核细胞对抗原加工的潜在改变。评估了血液学和生化参数，并确定了从外周血分离的嗜中性粒细胞和单核细胞上TLR4和MHC II类表达的变化。此外，我们测量了这些白细胞群体内凋亡细胞的百分比。我们的研究表明，应激条件可改变嗜中性粒细胞和单核细胞表面受体的分子模式以及白细胞凋亡率。获得的数据还表明，犬只在收容所的停留时间在免疫调节和触发其适应机制方面起着重要作用。这些结果带来了新的视角，对于制定改善收容所犬只监测和促进其健康状况的指南至关重要。
