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Effects of Monochromatic Light on Immune Response of Broilers

D. Xie^*, Z. X. Wang^*, Y. L. Dong^*, J. Cao^*, J. F. Wang^*, J. L. Chen and Y. X. Chen^*,1

^* College of Animal Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; and Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242

¹ Corresponding author: yxchen{at}cau.edu.cn

A total of 260 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were exposed to red light (RL), green light (GL), blue light (BL), and white light (WL), respectively, by using a light-emitting diode system for 7 wk. There were 5 replicate pens for each light treatment and 13 birds per pen. The effects of monochromatic light on the immune response were studied. The results indicated that proliferation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in the GL group was significantly increased (by 80.8 and 54.8%) compared with those in the RL and BL groups, respectively, at 21 d of age (P < 0.05). At 49 d of age, however, the proliferation response was significantly increased in the BL group compared with the RL group (26.9%, P< 0.05). Moreover, the GL group showed a significant elevation in the serum anti-Newcastle disease virus level as compared with that of the RL group at 28 d of age (32.9%, P < 0.05). In contrast, no significant difference in serum anti-Newcastle disease virus level was observed among the BL, RL, and WL groups at this age (P > 0.05). By 49 d of age, the antibody titer was higher in the BL group than in the RL group (62.8%, P < 0.05). However, no significant difference in antibody titer was seen among the BL, GL, and WL groups at this age. Interestingly, the BL group showed a 44.0% reduction in the level of serum interleukin-1β as compared with that in the RL group at 49 d of age (P < 0.05). These results suggest that GL and BL enhance the immune response better than RL, and that BL may play a role in alleviating the stress response in broilers.

Key Words: monochromatic light • immune response • stress • broiler