Abstract:

Objective: To discuss the protective effect and its mechanisms of immune colostrum in intervening in acute infectious diarrhea disease. Methods: Thirty-two healthy adult SD rats (half females and half males) were chosen and randomly divided into a control group (group C), a model group (group M), a group protected with normal colostrum (group NC) and a group protected with immune colostrum (group IC). Rats in groups NC and IC were orally given normal colostrum and immune colostrum at a dosage of 1 ml per 100 g body weigh once each day for 12 days, respectively. The animals in groups C and M were received physiologic saline at the same dose and frequency. On days 5 and 10 post experiment, animals from groups M, NC and IC were orally infected (1 ml/100 g body weight)with mixed enteroinvasive E. coli and Salmonella typhi (108/ml). Results: During the whole experimental period, red blood cell complement receptor type 1 (RBC-CR1) rosette rates and red blood cell immune complex (RBC-IC) rosette rates in groups M and NC are obviously lower and higher than those in group C, respectively, while there is no significant difference between group IC and group C. The proportions of T-lymphocytes in groups M and NC significantly reduce, but no obvious difference is observed between group IC and group C during the whole experiment period. The decreased IL-2 and elevated TNF-α levels are detected in plasma of diarrhea pathogens-infected rats, but the levels of IL-2 and TNF-α in group IC are close to those in group C. Conclusion: Immune colostrum provides effective protection of anti-infectious diarrhea in rats via ameliorating and enhancing activities and function of blood immunologic cells as well as mediating regulation of immune-mediators.

Key words: immune colostrum, rat, diarrhea, blood, immunocyte, immune mediator