Sexually dimorphic innate immunological responses of pre-pubertal Brahman cattle following an intravenous lipopolysaccharide challenge. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This study was designed to characterize potential sexually dimorphic immunological responses following a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in beef cattle. Six female (heifers) and five male (bulls) Brahman calves (average age=253 19.9 and 288 47.9 days; average body weight=194 11 kg and 247 19 kg for heifers and bulls, respectively) were challenged with LPS (0.25 g LPS/kg body weight). Following administration of LPS, all cattle displayed increased sickness behavior beginning at 0.5h, with heifers on average displaying less sickness behavior than bulls. A febrile response was observed in all animals following LPS administration, with a maximum response observed from 4 to 5.5h. The average rectal temperature response was greater in heifers than bulls. In all cattle there were elevated serum concentrations of cortisol from 0.5 to 8h, TNF- from 1 to 2.5h, IL-6 from 2 to 8h, and IFN- from 2.5 to 7h after LPS challenge. Additionally, serum concentrations of TNF- were greater in heifers than bulls from 1.5 to 2h after the LPS challenge. Concentrations of IFN- were also greater on average in bulls than heifers. Leukopenia occurred from 1 to 8h, with a decreased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio for the first 5h among all calves. These data demonstrate the existence of a sexually dimorphic acute-phase response in pre-pubertal Brahman calves. Specifically, heifers may have a more robust acute response to LPS challenge, even though bulls display more signs of sickness.

published proceedings

  • Vet Immunol Immunopathol

altmetric score

  • 0.25

author list (cited authors)

  • Carroll, J. A., Burdick Sanchez, N. C., Hulbert, L. E., Ballou, M. A., Dailey, J. W., Caldwell, L. C., ... Randel, R. D.

citation count

  • 10

complete list of authors

  • Carroll, Jeffery A||Burdick Sanchez, Nicole C||Hulbert, Lindsey E||Ballou, Michael A||Dailey, Jeffery W||Caldwell, Lisa C||Vann, Rhonda C||Welsh, Thomas H||Randel, Ronald D

publication date

  • August 2015