Sexual Dimorphic Innate Immune Response to a Viral-Bacterial Respiratory Disease Challenge in Beef Calves

• Published in: Veterinary sciences Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 696
• Main Authors: Burdick Sanchez, Nicole C, Broadway, Paul R, Carroll, Jeffery A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.12.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Beef cattle; Body temperature; bovine respiratory disease; Cattle; Cytokines; Delayed response; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Fatty acids; Glucose; Hematology; Immune response; Innate immunity; Interleukin 4; Laboratory animals; Leukocytes (eosinophilic); Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Lung diseases; Lymphocytes; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Monocytes; Morbidity; Respiration; Respiratory diseases; Salmonella; Sexual dimorphism; Trachea; Veterinary medicine; white blood cells; United States > US; bovine respiratory disease; cattle; cytokines; innate immunity; white blood cells; sexual dimorphism
• ISSN: 2306-7381; 2306-7381
• DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9120696

The potential for sexually dimorphic innate immune responses to respiratory disease was evaluated, where eight steers and seven heifers (280 ± 4 kg) were subjected to a viral−bacterial respiratory disease challenge utilizing bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1; intranasal; 1 × 108 PFU/nostril) and Mannheimia haemolytica (MH; intratracheal; 1.3 × 107 CFU/head) administered 72 h later. Body temperature was lesser in heifers than steers (p < 0.01). There was a sex × time interaction (p = 0.05) for white blood cells where heifers had reduced concentrations compared with steers at −72 and 0 h but greater concentrations from 36 to 60 h post-MH. Concentrations of neutrophils were lesser in heifers compared to steers from 0 to 4 h, and from 8 to 12 h (p = 0.03). Lymphocytes were greater in heifers compared to steers at 12 h and from 36 to 60 h post-MH (p < 0.01). The neutrophil−lymphocyte ratio was lesser in heifers compared to steers from 2 to 24 h and at 48 h post-MH (p < 0.01). Monocytes were greater in heifers compared to steers from 24 to 60 h post-MH (p < 0.01), while eosinophils were greater in heifers compared to steers at 48 and 60 h (p < 0.01). Serum IL-4 was lesser in heifers compared to steers at 0 h and from 2 to 72 h post-MH challenge (p = 0.02). Non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were lesser (p < 0.01) in heifers compared to steers from 2 to 4 h post-MH challenge. Urea nitrogen concentrations were greater (p < 0.01) in heifers than steers at 36 h post-MH challenge. Data from this study reveal distinct differences in the acute phase response following a respiratory disease challenge where steers produced an early response, while the response in heifers appeared to be delayed.