Immune competence of chicks from two lines divergently selected for antibody response to sheep red blood cells as affected by supplemental vitamin E

Effects of dietary vitamin E on responses to SRBC antigens and Escherichia coli infection were studied in chicks from White Leghorn lines selected for 24 generations for high (HAS) and low (LAS) antibody responses to SRBC. Ch icks were fed corn-soybean diets consisting of either high (300 IU per kg f eed) or low (10 IU per kg feed) concentrations of vitamin E from the day of hatch through the end of experiment. The LAS chicks were heavier than the HAS chicks at 14 d of age and thereafter; there was no difference in BW bet ween vitamin E concentrations. At 37 d of age, chicks were inoculated via t he brachial vein with 0.1 mL of 0.25% SRBC suspension. Antibody titers at 6 and 10 d after inoculation were higher in HAS than in LAS chicks. At 6 and 10 d after inoculation with SRBC, antibody responses were lower in LAS chi cks fed the diet containing the higher vitamin E concentration than in thos e fed the diet containing the lower concentration of vitamin E. At 64 d of age, chicks were injected in the posterior thoracic air sac with 0.1 mL of 10(-2) or 10(-4) dilution of Escherichia coli and scored for pericardial an d air sac lesions. The HAS chicks were more susceptible to E. coli infectio n than LAS chicks as measured by lesion scores and BW changes. Although die tary vitamin E had no effect on lesion scores in either line, BW loss at 24 h after E. coli inoculation was significantly reduced in HAS chicks fed th e higher concentration of vitamin E. The dosage of E. coli had no effect on lesion scores and BW changes. These results suggest that genetic selection might have changed immune competence in relation to responses to dietary v itamin E, and the optimum dietary concentration of vitamin E depends on gen otype, among other factors.