EFFECTS OF POLY I-C IN PORCINE IRON DEFICIENT NEUTROPENIA

Abstract

Withholding iron dextran treatment normally given to pigs at 1-3 days of age to prevent anemia resulted also in neutropenia. Polyinosinic acid:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) at 0.5 mg/kg IV at 25 days of age resulted in induction of putative interferon 2-24 h later, with significantly (P < 0.05) lower concentrations in Fe-deficient (Fe-) female pigs than in Fe-supplemented (Fe+) female pigs. Poly I:C caused several transient toxic manifestations, including elevations in blood urea N, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, K, total bilirubin and P, marked leukopenia (both neutropenia and lymphopenia), and declines in serum albumin, Ca, cholesterol, glucose and globulin. Certain blood chemistries before poly I:C were significantly (P .ltoreq. 0.05) different: albumin, globulin, cholesterol and K were higher in females than in males; albumin, globulin, glucose, P and K were higher in Fe- than in Fe+ pigs; and total CO2 was higher in Fe+ than in Fe- pigs.