Open AccessThe influence of high selenium intake of ewes on leukocytes in newborn lambs
Author(s) -
L. Písek,
Jan Trávníček,
Zdeněk Peksa,
Hana Dušová,
Roman Konečný,
Miloslav Šoch
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of agrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1804-2686
pISSN - 1803-4403
DOI - 10.2478/v10146-012-0005-3
Subject(s) - selenium , breed , zoology , biology , cd8 , chlorella , physiology , colostrum , immune system , andrology , medicine , immunology , chemistry , antibody , ecology , organic chemistry , algae
The aim of this work was to determine the impact of high selenium intake on pregnant ewes considering the number of leukocytes and the representation of T cell subsets in the blood of newborn lambs. An experiment was conducted on nineteen sucking newborn lambs of the Sumava sheep breed. The ewes were divided into three groups of five animals: control C (without Se supplementation), experimental E1 (sodium selenite supplementation, Se content 160 μg.kg -1 DM) and E2 (Chlorella as a carrier for selenium, Se content 160 μg.kg -1 DM). After birth blood samples were taken from lambs on days 1, 3, 10, 30 and 60. The WBC count and proportion of lymphocytes in blood smear were detected by microscopic analysis, and the CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets in blood were detected by flow cytometry. The differences determined were not statistically significant due to high variabilities within the groups. In lambs whose mothers were supplemented with selenium bound to the alga of the genus Chlorella a statistically significant increase in the proportion of both subsets of T lymphocytes was proved. The results document a tendency to a lower level of the selected parameters of immunity in lambs without Se supplementation.