关键词: 仔猪, 免疫机能, 运输应激, 基因表达

Abstract: Transportation of piglets may result in stress that is associated with increased susceptibility of diseases, presumably due to alteration of immune function. The objective of this investigation was to explore effect of road transportation of Erhualian piglets on cell-mediated immune function.21 Erhualian piglets about 20 kg in weight were divided into transportation and control groups, 7 in transportation group and 14 in control group. After 2 h transportation, all piglets were killed after anaesthesia with Pentobarbital Sodium. Blood and spleen samples were collected. IL-1β and IL-2 levels in serum were measured by radioimmunoassay. Effects of stressed piglet’s serum on T-lymphocyte proliferation in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from normal pigs were detected by methylthiazol tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. And expressions of IL-1β and IL-2 mRNA were determined by RT-PCRThe results were as follows: (1) IL-1β and IL-2 levels in serum from transportation piglets were higher than that of control group（P＞0.05）. (2)The serum of transportation stress piglets can obviously promote the activity of T-lymphocyte proliferation in PBLs from normal pigs（P<0.05） at 1∶4 and 1∶8 dilution; (3) Expression of IL-2 gene in spleens were profoundly up-regulated （P<0.05） by transportation stress, while expressions of IL-1β gene unchanged. The above results demonstrated that a 2 h transportation may alter immune function of piglets, and the piglets can adapt to this transportation manner well by strengthening their immune system function to cope with the harmful environment.

Key words: piglets, immune function, transportation stress, gene expression