U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Food and Feed Safety Research: College Station, TX
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area College Station, Texas Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center Food and Feed Safety Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Kogut, Michael

                                                         - *Mike*item
                                            ROTHWELL, LISA - IAH  COMPTON, UKitem
                                            KAISER, PETE - IAH  COMPTON, UK
  Submitted to: Journal of Immunology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2002
                                    Publication  Date: 12/1/2002
                                    Citation: N/AInterpretive Summary: When bacteria infect baby chicks, specialized cells in the chicks, called phagocytes, will eat the bacteria.  One special type of phagocyte known as the heterophil is very important in the eating and destroying of bacteria in baby chicks.  This eating can be improved if the bacteria come in contact with host substances known as antibodies.  These antibodies on the  bacteria attract the heterophil to the bacteria and increase the ability of the heterophil to eat and destroy the bacteria.  The purpose of these experiments was to investigate the chemical reactions that occur inside the heterophil after eating the bacteria that were covered with antibodies.   We identified a specific series of reactions that lead to the death of the bacteria.  These experiments are important to the pharmaceutical industry because we are now identifying specific natural chemical reactions inside the heterophil that may be targets of drugs to  aid in protecting baby chicks from bacterial infections.
                                Technical Abstract: Originally identified as a T cell growth factor, IL-2 has been found to exercise an array of biological effects on other cell types. Of particular interest is the ability of IL-2 to activate microbicidal and tumoricidal activities in cells of the innate immune response. The recent cloning and sequencing of the avian IL-2 homologue has speculated on its use as either  a vaccine adjuvant or immunomodulator molecule in poultry. Heterophils, th avian equivalent of the neutrophil, function as professional phagocytes to aid in regulation of innate host defenses. The objective of the present studies was to examine the effects of recombinant chicken IL-2 (rChIL-2) on various functional activities of heterophils from chickens during the first three weeks after hatch. Peripheral blood heterophils were isolated and incubated with various concentrations of either COS cell-derived rChIL-2 or supernatants from mock-transfected COS cells for 2 h at 39 deg C. RChIL-2  had no effect on the functional activities of heterophils from day-of-hatc chickens. However, rChIL-2 significantly increased the phagocytosis and bactericidal activity of heterophils from 7- and 14-day-old chickens. RChIL-2 induced no direct stimulation of the respiratory burst by heterophils from birds at any age, but primed heterophils from 7- and 14- day-old birds for a significantly strengthened respiratory burst to subsequent stimulation with PMA. Lastly, rChIL-2 had neither direct nor priming effects on heterophil degranulation. The effects on heterophil functional activity were neutralized by a neutralizing anti-chicken IL-2 mAb and were therefore specific. These results show that rChIL-2 can directly activate chicken heterophils to exert effector functions, and that heterophil activation by rChIL-2 is also an age-dependent event.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov