Appeasing Pheromones against Bovine Respiratory Complex and Modulation of Immune Transcript Expressions

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Health
• Immunology

Background:

• Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) poses significant economic challenges in livestock.
• Antimicrobial use to manage BRD contributes to antimicrobial resistance, impacting animal and human health.
• Appeasing pheromones are investigated for their potential to reduce stress and bolster immune function, thereby decreasing reliance on antimicrobials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of appeasing pheromone administration on bovine health and performance during the fattening period.
• To assess changes in zootechnical parameters, clinical signs, and immune gene expression in response to pheromone treatment.

Main Methods:

• Four-week study involving bulls during the fattening period.
• Administration of appeasing pheromones to a treatment group, with a control group receiving no pheromones.
• Monitoring of zootechnical and health parameters, including clinical signs and whole blood immune transcript expression (e.g., interleukin 8).

Main Results:

• Bulls receiving pheromones showed increased clinical signs on Day 8 and decreased signs by Day 30.
• A higher expression of interleukin 8 transcripts was observed in the pheromone-treated group on Day 8 compared to controls.
• Results align with previous livestock studies on pheromone effects.

Conclusions:

• Appeasing pheromones show potential in modulating bovine health and immune responses.
• Further research is necessary to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action of appeasing pheromones in livestock.
• Findings suggest a possible role for pheromones in strategies to reduce antimicrobial usage in cattle farming.