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Nutrient partitioning between reproductive and immune functions in animals
J G Houdijk1, N S Jessop, I Kyriazakis
1Animal Nutrition and Health Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh, UK. j.houdijk@ed.sac.ac.uk
The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|June 19, 2002
Summary
Nutritional deficiencies, specifically scarce metabolisable protein (MP), can impair immune function in periparturient animals, leading to parasite susceptibility. Prioritizing reproduction over immunity during MP scarcity explains this periparturient breakdown of immunity to parasites (BIP).
Area of Science:
- Animal nutrition
- Immunology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Reproductive cycles create high metabolisable protein (MP) demands in females, particularly around parturition.
- Metabolisable protein scarcity may lead to the prioritization of reproductive functions over immune functions.
- This nutritional hypothesis explains the periparturient breakdown of immunity to parasites (BIP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the nutritional basis of periparturient BIP.
- To quantify the occurrence of periparturient BIP using periparturient sheep infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta as a model.
- To review evidence supporting the nutritional basis of periparturient BIP.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental data manipulating nutrient supply and/or demand in periparturient animals.
- Utilizing periparturient sheep infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta to examine host-parasite dynamics.
- Quantitatively estimating MP requirements for immune function.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports the nutritional basis of periparturient BIP, with MP scarcity penalizing immune function more than reproductive function.
- Estimated MP requirements for immunity to Teladorsagia circumcincta are approximately 1 g/kg metabolic body weight per day.
- This requirement represents about 5% of the maximum MP needs of periparturient sheep, primarily for plasma protein replenishment.
Conclusions:
- Nutritional strategies can help minimize periparturient BIP.
- Accurate MP requirement estimations can improve animal health and reduce parasite susceptibility.
- Further research is needed to confirm MP requirement estimates for immune function.