The effect of vitamin E supplementation on an experimental Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2014-09, Vol.205 (1-2), p.140-149
• Main Authors: De Wolf, B.M., Zajac, A.M., Hoffer, K.A., Sartini, B.L., Bowdridge, S., LaRoith, T., Petersson, K.H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Dietary Supplements; Feces - parasitology; Female; Gastrointestinal nematode; Haemonchiasis - drug therapy; Haemonchiasis - veterinary; Haemonchus; Immune response; Male; Parasite Egg Count; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - blood; Sheep Diseases - drug therapy; Sheep Diseases - parasitology; Vitamin E - administration & dosage; Vitamin E - pharmacology; α-Tocopherol
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.07.013

•We examine the effect of oral vitamin E on a parasitic infection in lambs.•Vitamin E was supplemented at 5.3 (control) or 10 (VE10) IU/kg body weight/day.•VE10 lambs had lower worm burdens and packed cell volume reduction. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on an experimental Haemonchus contortus infection in lambs. Twenty lambs were stratified into two treatment groups based on fecal egg count. Worm-free lambs, 28–32 weeks of age, were supplemented with vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) for 12 weeks following the recommendations of the National Research Council for the minimum daily requirement (control; 5.3IU/kg body weight (BW)/day (d), n=10) or the requirement for optimal immune function (VE10; 10IU/kg BW/d, n=10). Five weeks following initiation of vitamin E supplementation, lambs were infected with 10,000 H. contortus third stage larvae. Samples were taken weekly to quantify serum α-tocopherol, serum total non-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G, whole worm antigen specific IgG, packed cell volume (PCV), and fecal egg count (FEC). Expression of cytokine genes IFN-λ and IL-4 were measured in peripheral blood collected prior to slaughter. Lambs were necropsied six weeks after infection and the α-tocopherol concentration of liver, muscle and lymph node were measured as well as abomasal worm burden and histologic evaluation of the abomasum for inflammation and enumeration of eosinophils and globule leukocytes. The livers of VE10 lambs contained slightly more α-tocopherol than control lambs. No differences were observed in serum, muscle or lymph node α-tocopherol concentration, serum IgG or peripheral mRNA expression of IL-4 or IFN-λ between control and VE10 lambs. However, lambs supplemented at 10IU/kg BW/d had a lower PCV reduction, FEC and worm burden 49% less than control lambs. Worm burden was negatively correlated with eosinophil (−0.720, P