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Frontiers of Agriculture in China

ISSN 1673-7334

ISSN 1673-744X(Online)

CN 11-5729/S

Front Agric Chin    2009, Vol. 3 Issue (2) : 209-215    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11703-009-0020-3
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effect of a Chinese herbal formula Astragalus immunomodulator on immune function of chickens
Qingru ZHANG, Guojun JIANG, Shupeng LI, Xiuhui ZHONG()
College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine,Agricultural University of Hebei,Dingzhou 073000, China
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Abstract

In order to investigate the immunomodulatory effects and the mechanism of a Chinese herbal medicine, Zengmiansan (Astragalus immunomodulator), on immune function of chickens, three hundred 1-day-old chickens were assigned randomly into 5 groups, i.e., the blank control group, the Chinese herbal medicine Zengmiansan (ZMS)-treated group, the cyclophosphamide group, the cyclophosphamide plus levamisole group, the cyclophosphamide plus ZMS group and the control group. All chickens were immunized with Lasota vaccine by nose-drip or eye-drop at the age of 6 days. Newcastle Disease (ND) antibody titers, growth indexes of the spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius, the concentrations of CD4+ lymphocytes and CD8+ lymphocytes in spleen, thymus and peripheral blood, and the apoptosis of splenocytes, thymocytes and bursa of Fabricius cells were observed at the ages of 14, 21, 28 and 35 days, respectively. Our results indicated that the NDV antibody titers of chickens in the Chinese herbal medicine ZMS-treated group at the ages of 14 and 21 days were significantly higher than that of the other groups (P<0.01). The growth indexes of immune organs, the concentrations of CD4+ lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes of chickens in the Chinese herbal medicine ZMS- treated group at the ages of 14, 21 and 28 d were significantly higher than those of the other groups (P<0.01). The apoptotic splenocytes, thymocytes and bursa of Fabricius cells of chickens in the ZMS-treated group were significantly lower than the other groups (P<0.01) at the ages of 14, 21 and 28 days.

Keywords chicken      Chinese herbal medicine      apoptosis      immune     
Corresponding Author(s): ZHONG Xiuhui,Email:zhongxiuhui@hotmail.com   
Issue Date: 05 June 2009
 Cite this article:   
Qingru ZHANG,Guojun JIANG,Shupeng LI, et al. Effect of a Chinese herbal formula Astragalus immunomodulator on immune function of chickens[J]. Front Agric Chin, 2009, 3(2): 209-215.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fag/EN/10.1007/s11703-009-0020-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fag/EN/Y2009/V3/I2/209
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
spleen
A1.16 ± 0.16Bb1.46 ± 0.18Bb1.74 ± 0.26Bb1.98 ± 0.32a
B1.42 ± 0.32Aa1.95 ± 0.17Aa2.31 ± 0.38Aa2.06 ± 0.28a
C0.74 ± 0.25Bc1.01 ± 0.28Bc1.49 ± 0.47BC1.91 ± 0.19a
D0.89 ± 0.17Bbc1.18 ± 0.38Bbc1.59 ± 0.36Bbc1.96 ± 0.27a
E1.01 ± 0.35Bb1.35 ± 0.08Bb1.66 ± 0.31Bb1.98 ± 0.14a
thymus
A1.35 + 0.16Bb3.00 + 0.25Bb4.01 + 0.72Bb5.22 + 0.92a
B2.20 + 0.12Aa4.06 + 0.82Aa5.24 + 1.29Aa5.39 + 1.74a
C0.75 + 0.19Bd2.21 + 0.27Bd3.60 + 0.56Bb4.91 + 1.76a
D0.96 + 0.26Bc2.66 + 0.36Bc3.80 + 1.61Bb5.01 + 0.95a
E0.98 + 0.28Bc2.72 + 0.41Bc3.92 + 0.89Bb5.12 + 1.37a
bursa of Fabricius
A2.57 + 0.24Ab3.27 + 0.41Ab4.01 + 0.57b5.04 + 0.69a
B2.97 + 0.14Aa3.91 + 0.29Aa4.97 + 0.62a5.48 + 0.91a
C0.90 + 0.12C1.15 + 0.17C2.71 + 0.56C4.28 + 0.29a
D0.98 + 0.16C2.05 + 0.22Bc3.02 + 0.28C4.67 + 0.63a
E1.73 + 0.21B2.75 + 0.34Bb3.56 + 0.47b4.84 + 0.75a
Tab.1  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on growth indexes of spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
A4.70 ± 0.58B6.10 ± 0.35B5.20 ± 0.95B4.90 ± 0.60a
B5.70 ± 0.70A7.50 ± 0.55A6.30 ± 0.30A5.20 ± 0.55a
C4.20 ± 0.35C5.50 ± 0.70C5.10 ± 0.75B4.90 ± 0.65a
D4.70 ± 0.50B6.00 ± 0.75B5.20 ± 0.85B5.00 ± 0.90a
E4.90 ± 0.40B6.10 ± 0.90B5.40 ± 0.75B5.10 ± 0.70a
Tab.2  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on NDV antibody titers
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
spleen
A15.41 ± 3.25Bb17.46 ± 5.27B16.78 ± 5.47B15.83 ± 4.28b
B20.68 ± 7.19A23.06 ± 7.34A20.29 ± 5.23A18.12 ± 5.45a
C10.24 ± 3.48Bc11. 23 ± 3.25C13.83 ± 4.67B14.07 ± 4.57b
D10.52 ± 3.23Bc12.41 ± 3.67C14.22 ± 4.25B14.76 ± 5.19b
E13.25 ± 4.53Bb13.18 ± 4.19C15.09 ± 4.18B15.14 ± 2.96b
thymus
A55.87 ± 6.25B60.71 ± 8.17B56.75 ± 6.82B53.56 ± 8.76a
B69.33 ± 7.89A81.29 ± 7.34A70.63 ± 7.18A59.42 ± 6.85a
C41.91 ± 5.48C58.05 ± 6.75B56.24 ± 4.67B55.12 ± 8.47a
D58.29 ± 9.17B63.78 ± 6.82B59.71 ± 6.39B55.87 ± 8.29a
E60.81 ± 3.46B76.89 ± 6.91A70.39 ± 5.79A52.70 ± 7.26a
blood
A37.40 ± 5.16B40.63 ± 4.23B38.17 ± 4.72B39.49 ± 6.91ab
B45.68 ± 7.12A47.27 ± 6.37A41.89 ± 5.29A40.27 ± 5.78a
C30.24 ± 5.29D32.62 ± 5.27D33.53 ± 7.56C37.92 ± 4.71b
D32.52 ± 4.26C34.68 ± 3.36C36.83 ± 6.61B38.07 ± 4.46ab
E33.25 ± 4.28C35.74 ± 5.41C37.97 ± 7.59B38.89 ± 5.37ab
Tab.3  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on the concentrations of CD lymphocytes
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
spleen
A48.85 ± 9.71Bb49.28 ± 11.63B47.11 ± 8.87Bc49.27 ± 8.29a
B42.09 ± 7.23Cc43.67 ± 8.28C43.91 ± 8.15Cd45.28 ± 9.43b
C55.88 ± 5.97Aa56.56 ± 10.08A53.51 ± 9.08Bb50.94 ± 9.47a
D53.38 ± 6.87Aa54.47 ± 9.37A62.28 ± 10.05A50.46 ± 7.17a
E50.51 ± 8.26Ab49.52 ± 6.82B49.01 ± 9.23Bc49.54 ± 7.17a
thymus
A53.21 ± 7.18A50.22 ± 5.23B59.11 ± 6.97B59.46 ± 9.89a
B56.37 ± 4.53A61.46 ± 4.37A64.21 ± 8.15B62.31 ± 8.76a
C42.33 ± 5.28B51.86 ± 3.28B63.19 ± 11.08B64.71 ± 9.05a
D55.08 ± 4.76A52.80 ± 5.37B63.52 ± 10.75B64.48 ± 8.29a
E56.89 ± 3.79A63.02 ± 6.12A72.57 ± 9.16A59.91 ± 9.06a
blood
A15.31 ± 3.16Bc16.08 ± 3.18Bc15.78 ± 2.26Ab16.28 ± 3.32ab
B14.25 ± 4.32Cc13.73 ± 2.17C14.13 ± 2.38Bc 15.07 ± 4.28b
C19.69 ± 4.25A 19.46 ± 5.28A17.37 ± 3.47A16.93 ± 4.19a
D17.67±5.17Bb17.64 ± 4.38Bb16.63 ± 5.36A15.96 ± 5.27ab
E16.95 ± 3.33Bb17.08 ± 5.08Bb c16.32 ± 5.31A15.78 ± 4.14ab
Tab.4  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on the concentrations of CD lymphocytes
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
spleen
A0.32 ± 0.09B0.35 ± 0.14B0.36 ± 0.11B0.32 ± 0.12b
B0.49 ± 0.07A0.53 ± 0.12A0.46 ± 0.10A0.40 ± 0.11a
C0.18 ± 0.08C0.20 ± 0.08D0.26 ± 0.09Cd0.28 ± 0.05b
D0.20 ± 0.11C0.23 ± 0.05D0.27 ± 0.08Cd0.29 ± 0.09b
E0.26 ± 0.08B0.27 ± 0.07B0.31 ± 0.08 Cc0.31 ± 0.10b
thymus
A1.05 ± 0.11Bca1.20 ± 0.13B0.96 ± 0.11B0.90 ± 0.1 a b
B1.23 ± 0.09A1.32 ± 0.12A1.10 ± 0.13A0.95 ± 0.12a
C0.99 ± 0.11Cb1.12 ± 0.14C0.89 ± 0.10Cd0.85 ± 0.08 b
D1.06 ± 0.13 BCa1.21 ± 0.09 B0.94 ± 0.12Cd0.87 ± 0.11 a b
E1.07 ± 0.12BCa1.22 ± 0.10B0.97 ± 0.13 Cc0.88 ± 0.09 a b
blood
A2.44 ± 0.87B2.53 ± 0.58Bb2.42 ± 0.68Bb2.43 ± 0.73ab
B3.21 ± 0.92A3.44 ± 1.21A2.96 ± 0.99A2.67 ± 0.79a
C1.54 ± 0.36Cd1.68 ± 0.59Cd1.93 ± 0.54Bc2.24 ± 0.95b
D1.84 ± 0.74Cc 1.97 ± 0.62BCcd2.21 ± 0.76Bbc2.39 ± 0.57ab
E1.96 ± 0.38Cc2.09 ± 0.73Bc2.33 ± 0.83Bb2.46 ± 0.72ab
Tab.5  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on the ratios of CD/CD lymphocytes
group14-day-old21-day-old28-day-old35-day-old
spleen
A0.43 ± 0.11Bb0.46 ± 0.05Bb0.45 ± 0.07B0.51 ± 0.09b
B0.29 ± 0.07Bc0.28 ± 0.08Bc0.42 ± 0.09B0.49 ± 0.11b
C3.30 ± 0.81Aa3.51 ± 0.73Aa1.55 ± 0.56A0.89 ± 0.21a
D2.93 ± 0.56Aa3.05 ± 1.06Aa1.16 ± 0.61A0.61 ± 0.16b
E2.05 ± 0.88Ab2.16 ± 0.91Ab0.89 ± 0.29A0.59 ± 0.07b
thymus
A0.93 + 0.16B1.38 + 0.55B3.46+ 1.72B3.42 + 1.91a
B0.79 + 0.12B1.12 + 0.82B3.06+ 1.29B3.13 + 1.78a
C12.30 + 4.19Aa13.51 + 4.27Aa7.85+ 3.56A4.49 + 2.71a
D7.23 + 2.26Ab9.15 + 3.36Ab6.60+ 3.61A3.78 + 1.96a
E6.95 + 3.28Ab8.96 + 3.41Ab6.29+ 2.89A3.65 + 2.37a
bursa of Fabricius
A0.53 + 0.11C0.76 + 0.05C0.85+ 0.07B1.51 + 0.09a
B0.39 + 0.07C0.58 + 0.08C0.82+ 0.09B1.49 + 0.11a
C7.30 + 0.81A8.51 + 0.73A4.25+ 0.56A2.89 + 0.21a
D5.93 + 0.56B6.05 + 1.06B3.16+ 0.61A1.61 + 0.16a
E4.05 + 0.88B5.16 + 0.91B2.89+ 0.29A1.59 + 0.07a
Tab.6  Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on the apoptosis of splenocytes , thymocytes and bursa of Fabricius cells
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