EFFECTS OF VITAMIN-E AND SELENIUM ON IMMUNE-RESPONSES OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD, COLOSTRUM, AND MILK LEUKOCYTES OF SOWS

This study was designed to assess how dietary vitamin E (E) and(or) se lenium (Se) concentrations affect immune responses of gestating and pe ripartum sows. Multiparous sows (24), assigned to one of four groups a t breeding, were fed ensiled, shelled com-soybean meal-based diets wit hout supplemental E or Se (-E-Se), with .3 mg of Se/kg (-E+Se), with 6 0 IU of E/kg (+E-Se), or with both supplemental E and Se (+E+Se) durin g gestation and to d 4 of lactation. Blood was obtained on 0, 30, 60, and 90 d of gestation and at parturition for serum E and Se assays. Ly mphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) were isolated from the blo od, colostrum, and 4-d milk samples for immune studies. Compared with the control (+E+Se) diet, the -E-Se diet reduced ( P < .05) the serum tocopherol and Se concentrations, the mitogenic responses of lymphocyt es of peripheral blood (PBL) and colostrum (CL), the phagocytic activi ty of blood and colostral PMN, and the microbicidal activity of blood, colostral, and milk PMN. The -E+Se diet reduced (P < .05) the serum t ocopherol concentrations, the mitogenic responses of PBL and CL, and t he phagocytic activity of PBL. The +E-Se diet reduced (P < .05) serum Se concentrations and the phagocytic activity of PMN. The data indicat ed that E restriction depressed PBL and PMN immune functions, whereas Se restriction depressed mainly PMN function.