Birth delivery method affects expression of immune genes in lung and jejunum tissue of neonatal beef calves

Abstract

BackgroundCaesarean section is a routine veterinary obstetrical procedure employed to alleviate dystocia in cattle. However, CS, particularly before the onset of labour, is known to negatively affect neonatal respiration and metabolic adaptation in humans, though there is little published information for cattle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of elective caesarean section (ECS) or normal trans-vaginal (TV) delivery, on lung and jejunal gene expression profiles of neonatal calves.ResultsPaternal half-sib Angus calves (gestation length 278 + 1.8 d) were delivered either transvaginally (TV; n = 8) or by elective caesarean section (ECS; n = 9) and immediately euthanized. Lung and jejunum epithelial tissue was isolated and snap frozen. Total RNA was extracted using Trizol reagent and reverse transcribed to generate cDNA. For lung tissue, primers were designed to target genes involved in immunity, surfactant production, cellular detoxification, membrane transport and mucin production. Primers for jejunum tissue were chosen to target mucin production, immunoglobulin uptake, cortisol reaction and membrane trafficking. Quantitative real-time PCR reactions were performed and data were statistically analysed using mixed models ANOVA. In lung tissue the expression of five genes were affected (p < 0.05) by delivery method. Four of these genes were present at lower (LAP, CYP1A1, SCN11α and SCN11β) and one (MUC5AC) at higher abundance in ECS compared with TV calves. In jejunal tissue, expression of TNFα, Il-1β and 1 l-6 was higher in ECS compared with TV calves.ConclusionsThis novel study shows that ECS delivery affects the expression of key genes involved in the efficiency of the pulmonary liquid to air transition at birth, and may lead to an increased inflammatory response in jejunal tissue, which could compromise colostral immunoglobulin absorption. These findings are important to our understanding of the viability and management of neonatal calves born through ECS.

Integrated analyses of the microbiological, immunological and ontological transitions in the calf ileum during early life

“…One of the few studies conducted in calves describes down-regulated mRNA expression levels for several TLRs and antimicrobial peptides in the small intestine in the weeks after birth compared to calves at 6 months 16 . Additionally, IL1 and IL6 gene expression in the calf jejunum has been recently shown to be affected by method of birth 17 . In cattle, FAE of Peyer's patches have a critical role in trafficking not only colostral leukocytes into neonatal circulation 18 but also infectious disease antigens including mycobacteria and thereby play a critical role in the immune response to these agents 19 .…”

Stochasticity constrained by deterministic effects of diet and age drive rumen microbiome assembly dynamics

“…Our study was performed using a single early-life intervention with an ecological context, consisting of two alternative modes of delivery, followed by a long-term high-resolution sampling effort performed in a controlled environment. One-third of the animal cohort was delivered via C-section and the rest through the birth canal, creating conditions that exposed the animals to different species pools via the maternal microbiome 19,30,31 . Following this intervention, we documented the microbiome dynamics of 45 animals over the course of up to 3 years, reared under the same conditions and sampled at high resolution, whereby a third of the cohort was sampled over a 3-year period.…”

Mucin 1 and interleukin-11 protein expression and inflammatory reactions in the intestinal mucosa of necrotizing enterocolitis children after surgery

“…In addition, the development of the intestinal lumen and gastrointestinal peristalsis in premature infants are not perfect, the digestion and hydrolysis of various pathogens and toxins are inadequate, and intestinal peristalsis is slow, which allows food to accumulate in the intestine. This accumulation can lead to gastrointestinal damage, bacterial overgrowth and intestinal flatulence, resulting in the occurrence of NEC[ 6 , 7 ]. On the other hand, studies have shown that hypoxia-ischemia and reperfusion injury to the intestinal wall are also important factors that lead to the occurrence of NEC.…”