AN INVESTIGATION OF IMMUNIZATION AGAINST SOMATOSTATIN BY MEASURING ANTIBODY TITRES, SOMATOSTATIN AND SOMATOTROPIN PROFILES IN GILTS

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The effect of active immunization against porcine somatostatin (SRIF-14) on somatostation and somatotropin secretion profile in 18 gilts was investigated. Gilts were assigned to the following treatments: control (sham injection, n = 6); bovine serum albumin (BSA) (injection of BSA with bacterial protein adjuvant, n = 6); SRIF (injection of BSA-SRIF-14 conjugate with bacterial protein adjuvant n = 6). Serum SRIF and pST were assayed from the blood samples taken on day 7 after the last immunization injection. Anti-SRIF antibody titres were assayed in weekly samples two weeks after the initial immunization to one week after the last immunization. Results revealed that the immunization protocol used in the present investigation failed to produce antibodies capable of neutralizing endogenous somatostatin. In addition, the porcine somatotropin assay revealed no significant differences in baseline pST concentration, mean peak amplitude and number of peaks during a 24 h secretory period among SRIF, BSA and control treatment. There were also no differences in SRIF baseline concentration, peak amplitude, and number of peaks during a 24 h secretory period among any of the three treatments. Circulating concentrations of pST and pSRIF were highly correlated (r = -0.09). Furthermore, anti-SRIF antibody titre was not detected in the serum of the gilts actively immunized against SRIF. These data, collectively, suggest that the protocol employed in the present investigation for active immunization against SRIF is not an effective method for changing SRIF and pST secretion profiles of the gilt and thus to enhance performance.