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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #98657
Title: MODULATION OF HETEROPHIL FUNCTIONS BY POULTRY FEED ADDITIVES

Author
item Rath, Narayan
item XIE, HANG - UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
item Huff, William
item Huff, Geraldine
item Balog, Janice

Submitted to: Western Poultry Disease Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/24/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Poultry often are fed with various antibiotics and anticoccidial drugs for protection against bacterial infection and to improve growth. To understand whether some of these antibiotics and growth promoters would affect natural immunity of birds we studied their effect a on type of blood cell called heterophil which is responsible for fending off bacterial infection. Our results show that these drugs may impair normal functions of these cells.

Technical Abstract: Poultry diets often are supplemented with various antibiotics and anticoccidial drugs as prophylactic measures against infection and to improve growth. To understand whether continuous exposure of birds to antibiotics, anti-coccidial drugs, and growth promoters would affect innate immunity, the in vitro effects of some commonly used supplements on heterophil functions was examined. The supplements tested were bacitracin, chlortetracycline, roxarsone, monensin, salinomycin, and tylosin. The effects of these supplements on viability, respiratory oxidative burst, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and gelatinase production was examined using heterophils that were activated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and killed Staphylococcus aureus (SA) cells. Both monensin and salinomycin reduced heterophil viability. Except roxarsone all other drugs partially inhibited respiratory oxidative burst activities induced by LPS/SA. The LPS/SA-stimulated IL-6 production was similarly affected. The gelatinase production was constitutive and was only marginally increased due to LPS/SA which was minimally affected by different drugs. In conclusion, it appears that heterophil function may be affected by antibiotics and anticoccidial drugs.