The Influence of Environmental Temperature on the Plasma Proteins of Domestic Fowl1

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SALT-SOLUBLE PROTEINS method of estimating the emulsifying capacity of various meats. J. Food Sci. 29: 774-781. Gornall, A. G., C. J. Bardawill and M. M. David, 1949. The determination of protein by the biuret method. J. Biol. Chem. 177: 751-766. Hudspeth, J. P., and K. N. May, 1967. A study of the emulsifying capacity of salt-soluble proteins of poultry meat. Food Technol. 21: 1141-1142. Maurer, A. J., and R. C. Baker, 1966. The relationship between collagen content and emulsifying capacity of poultry meat. Poultry Sci. 45: 1317— 1321.

Same, R. L., and J. W. Galbreath, 1964. Quantitative determination of salt-soluble protein in various types of meats. Food Technol. 18: 19431944. Steel, R. G. D., and J. H. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, N. Y. Swift, C. E., C. Lockett and A. S. Fryar, 1961. Comminuted meat emulsions—the capacity of meats for emulsifying fat. Food Technol. 15: 468-473.

The Influence of Environmental Temperature on the Plasma Proteins of Domestic Fowl1 TILL M. HUSTON AND TATA SUBHAS Division of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, A thens, Georgia 30601 (Received for publication November 14, 1968)

V

ARIOUS hormones such as thyroxine, corticoids and perhaps insulin circulate in the blood stream bound to certain fractions of the plasma proteins. However, the factors which regulate the concentration of plasma proteins are not clearly understood. There is evidence that various physiological, pathological and environmental factors are involved. Gordon et al. (1952) reported that the thyroid hormones are carried in the blood stream bound to a specific protein. Skin irritants, certain poisons, hemorrhage, fractures of bones and injury cause an increase in the protein globulins of humans (Putnam, 1960). Changes in body temperature may cause a shift in tissue fluids and thus cause a change in the concentration of plasma proteins (Sturkie, 1965). Globulins are associated with the production of antibodies. Chickens are good producers of antibodies and this is related to the higher 1 University of Georgia College of Agriculture, ExDeriment Stations Journal Series Paper 400, College Station, Athens, Georgia 30601.

ratio of globulins to albumen in chicken blood (Wolfe et al, 1957). It is generally accepted that environmental conditions influence hormonal activity of the thyroids, adrenals and the gonads. The present experiment was designed to determine if environmental temperature influenced the characteristics of the plasma proteins in domestic fowl. PROCEDURE

The mean temperature of the three environments studied were 8°, 19°, and 30°C. with a diurnal cycle of 4°-12°, 15°-23°, and 26°-34°, respectively. The birds used were White Plymouth Rock cockerels that had been grown from day of hatch in one of the respective environments. Thirty-four of the cockerels were selected from 19°C. and twenty-six birds were selected from each of the other two environments. When the birds were 20 weeks of age the initial blood samples were collected and then eight birds from each environment were transferred to

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T. M. HUSTON AND T. STJBHAS

TABLE 1.—The effects of different environmental temperatures upon the plasma proteins of maturing male fowl Temperature

No. of birds

Initial

1

18

30

30

20 22

3.19b 3.81a

45a 39b

2

8

30

8

20 21 22

2.97a 3.76b 3.66ab

3

18

19

19

20 22

4

8

19

30

5

8

19

6

18

7

8

Group

Globulins

Total plasma Albumen - Age proteins Final (wks.) (gm./lOO ml.) (%)

A/G ratio

-Fibrinogens Alpha 1

Alpha 2

(%)

(%)

0.83a 0.64b

4.54b 8.00a

6.15b 7.41a

21 23

45a 35b 34b

0.82a 0.56b 0.53b

4.42a 9.55b 10.60b

7.20 7.98 7.21

21 26 27

3.36b 3.77a

43a 36b

0.80b 0.58a

5.06b 7.53a

6.73 7.13

22b 26a

20 21 22

3.47 3.73 3.87

46a 40ab 39b

0.86a 0.65b 0.65b

5.25b 8.04a 5.04b

6.20b 7.54a 7.62a

23 25 26

8

20 21 22

3.57b 3.91ab 4.17a

43a 35b 35b

0.83a 0.42c 0.63b

7.57b 9.73a 6.21b

6.93b 7.80a 7.88a

21b 27a 28a

8

8

20 21

3.83 4.12

43a 40b

0.77a 0.67b

8.78 8.46

6.56 6.77

19b 22b

8

30

20 21 22

4.10b 3.79b 4.56a

41a 33b 38ab

0.71a 0.51b 0.62ab

8.28ab 8.67a 5.90b

6.93 7.77 6.93

23b 30a 28ab

°C.

°C.

(%)

Values with common letters are not significantly different (P<0.05).

another (final) environment (Table 1). Blood samples were taken again the following week from all birds moved to new environments (groups 2, 4, 5, 7). This was done in order to measure any changes in plasma proteins during the acclimation period in the new environments. The final blood samples were taken from all birds at 22 weeks of age. Total plasma proteins were determined by the improved biuret method of Ferro and Ham (1956). Individual plasma protein fractions were separated using Gelman rapid electrophoresis system with cellulose polyacetate sepraphore III strips. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and Duncan's new multiple range test as described by Steel and Torrie (1960).

compared, those in the 8°C. temperature had the highest concentration of total plasma proteins, the birds at 18°C. were intermediate and those held at 30°C. had the lowest (Table 1), (Figures 1,2). These differences were statistically significant. A gradual increase in the total plasma proteins were observed from 20 to 22

4.5 -

z m 4.0

'3.5 3.0

_l

1

2

I

i

I

3

4

5

l_

6

7 8 DAYS

9 10 11 12 13 14

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

When the birds kept in their original environment throughout the study were

FIG. 1. The effects of different environmental temperatures on plasma protein levels of maturing male fowl.

999

TEMPERATURE AND PLASMA PROTEINS

weeks of age in all three temperature regimes. When birds were transferred from one environment to the other there was a significant rise in the total plasma protein concentration irrespective of the direction of change. This change was observed within a week in every case except in the group moved from 8° to 30°C. (Table 1, and Figure 2). Higher values of albumen-globulin (A/G) ratio were observed at 30°C. than at the other temperatures (Figure 3). A gradual decrease of A/G ratio was observed when birds were transferred from one environment to the other irrespective of the direction of change. The relative percentage composition of Alpha 2, Beta and Gamma globulin fractions remained the same in all the temperatures. However, Beta 1 globulin increased with decreasing temperatures. An increase in all fraction types was observed between 20 and 22 weeks of age. Significant changes other than those due to age were observed when birds transferred from one temperature to the other. The mean percent composition of fibrinogen was the same in all the three temperature regimes at 20 weeks of age. A small increase was observed from 20 to 22 weeks of age.

.90

o

80

< A)

o N

< 60 50 <

i

i

i

i

i

i

1

2

3

4

5

6

1!

i

7 8 DAYS

i — i — i — i — i — i

9

10 11 12 13 14

FIG. 3. The effects of environmental temperature change on the albumen-globulin ratio of maturing male fowl.

These data indicate that plasma proteins are influenced by changes in environmental temperature. SUMMARY Plasma proteins of White Plymouth Rock male chicks grown at different environmental temperatures were studied. The mean daily temperatures used were 8°, 19°, and 30°C. The birds were 20 weeks of age when the experiment was initiated. The total plasma proteins increased with age. Albumen levels decreased and globulin increased with age. The greatest difference occurred in the 30°C. temperature regime. Total plasma protein concentrations were significantly higher for birds in the 8°C. than for birds in either the 19° or 30°C. temperature. The albumen-globulin ratio was higher at 30°C. than at the lower temperatures. The percent fibrinogen was not affected by environmental temperature. REFERENCES

t — i — i — i — i — i — i

1

2

3

4

5

i

6

i

7 8 DAYS

i

9

i

i

i

i

i

i

10 11 12 13 14 15

FIG. 2. The effects of environmental temperature change on plasma protein levels of maturing male fowl.

Ferro, P., and A. B. Ham, 1956. Improved Biuret method for total protein and A/G ratio. Lab-trol Bulletin No. 101, Dade Reagents Inc. Miami, Florida. Gordon, A. H., J. Gross, D. O'Connor and R. Pitt-

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T. M. HUSTON AND T. SUBHAS

Rivers, 1952. Nature of the circulating thyroid hormone-plasma protein complex. Nature, 169: 19-20. Putnam, F. W., 1960. The Plasma Proteins. Vol. 2, Academic Press, Inc., New York. Steel, R. G. D., and J. R. Torrie, 1960. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill

Book Co., New York. Sturkie, P. D., 1965. Avian Physiology, Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York. Wolfe, H. R., A. Mueller, J. Neess and C. Tempelis, 1957. Precipitin production in chickens. XVI: The relationship of age to antibody production. J. Immunol. 79: 142.

The Effect of High Levels of Dietary D D T on Egg Production, Mortality, Fertility, Hatchability and Pesticide Content of Yolks in Japanese Quail S. I. SMITH, C. W. WEBER AND B. L. REID Department of Poultry Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721 (Received for publication November 15. 1968)

STUDIES Japanese

have demonstrated that quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) are feasible and practical for toxicologic investigations of pesticides. Preliminary evidence (Armbrecht et al., 1963) indicated that the species may be intermediate in pesticide sensitivity compared to bob white quail, ringneck pheasants and other wild birds. Japanese quail have been used in toxicologic studies of insecticides; Betasan and Imidan were used by Shellenberger et al. (1965). Cross et al. (1962) found that up to 300 p.p.m. DDT had no effect on egg weight or egg production, but 500 p.p.m. resulted in zero hatchability and when fed 700 p.p.m. DDT in the diet, the quail stopped laying. DeWitt (1955, 1956) fed DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, strobane and endrin to quail and pheasants. Diets with 10 p.p.m. dieldrin and 200 p.p.m. DDT when fed to breeding quail resulted in a decreased hatchability and viability of chicks. Aldrin, dieldrin and endrin were lethal to quail when fed at 5 p.p.m. in the diet. Ernst and Ringer (1968) found that Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article #1415.

high levels of DDT, Zectran or Zytron caused significant decreases in packed erythrocyte volume and total erythrocyte count in mature male Japanese quail. The present experiment was undertaken to determine the amount of DDT and its metabolite, DDE which would accumulate in the yolks of birds fed various concentrations of DDT. We also were interested in the effect of these various levels on reproduction and mortality. METHODS

Five week-old Japanese quail {Coturnix coturnix japonica) were housed in wire cages, 60.96 cm. by 60.96 cm. by 38.10 cm. in an environmentally controlled room. The mean temperature was 21°C. and the quail were exposed to 16 hours of light per day. A complete diet, calculated to meet all the dietary requirements of adult Coturnix was used (Weber and Reid, 1966). All of the quail were preconditioned by feeding the 22.3% protein diet for a period of 20 days (Table 1), at which time they were randomly selected and distributed. The experimental design consisted of four dietary treatments