Dataset Information

T Helper Cell Subsets and Their Functions in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

ABSTRACT: Considerable efforts have been made to better understand the immune system of bottlenose dolphins in view of the common environmental challenges they encounter, such as exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, oil spills, or harmful algal bloom biotoxins. However, little is known about the identity and functionality of the Th1, Th2, and Treg T helper cell subsets in bottlenose dolphins. The present study aimed at validating assays and reagents to identify T helper cell subsets and their functions in a subset of dolphins from Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA, which have been long studied and often used as a reference population. A population of CD4+ FOXP3+ lymphocytes was identified representing an average <1% of blood lymphocyte population, which is in the range observed in for Treg cells in other species. The use of porcine reagents to measure TGFß, one of the key Treg cytokines, was further validated using the relatively high-throughput and highly standardized Luminex technology. The proportion of circulating Treg cells was not correlated with the serum concentrations of the Treg effector cytokines TGFß and IL-10, nor could it significantly contribute to predicting the variability of T lymphocyte proliferation, suggesting that not all dolphin circulating Treg cells are functional and active. However, stimulation of dolphin lymphocytes with TGFß and IL-2 increased the expression of the gene for TGFß and IL-10, and stimulation with IL-12 and IFN? induced a robust increase in the expression of the gene for IFN?, suggesting the potential for polarization and differentiation of dolphin T helper cells toward a Treg and Th1 response, respectively. The lack of an increase in the expression of the genes for the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 upon stimulation with IL-4 may be due to the requirement for IL-2 for a Th2 polarization as described in mice. However, regression analysis and PCA suggested the potential ability of both the Th1 and Th2 response to be triggered upon acute inflammatory signals. These results may be useful in better understanding the mechanisms by which the dolphin immune system is affected upon exposure to environmental challenges and how it responds to pathogen challenges.

SUBMITTER: De Guise S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710549 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

T Helper Cell Subsets and Their Functions in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>).

De Guise Sylvain S Levin Milton M Jasperse Lindsay L Risatti Guillermo G Wells Randall S RS

Frontiers in immunology 20190820

Considerable efforts have been made to better understand the immune system of bottlenose dolphins in view of the common environmental challenges they encounter, such as exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls, oil spills, or harmful algal bloom biotoxins. However, little is known about the identity and functionality of the Th1, Th2, and Treg T helper cell subsets in bottlenose dolphins. The present study aimed at validating assays and reagents to identify T helper cell subsets and their functions ...[more]

PMID: 31481952

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Project description:In recent decades, animal welfare science has evolved to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to assess the welfare of animals in accredited zoos and aquariums. Science-based animal welfare assessments have become an essential component of management programs and widespread application is expected by animal care professionals. Management practices for bottlenose dolphins in accredited facilities incorporate several programs that potentially impact animal welfare including environmental enrichment and animal training. Additionally, habitat characteristics, such as the dimensions of the habitat, have been proposed to affect welfare. While accredited facilities are required to meet high standards of care, habitat characteristics and management practices are not standardized across locations. Knowledge and subsequent application of these practices and habitat characteristics can enhance our understanding of factors associated with positive welfare. As part of a larger study of dolphin welfare titled "Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums" (colloquially called the Cetacean Welfare Study), survey data were collected from 86 bottlenose dolphins in 40 habitats at 38 facilities in seven countries. The major aims of this paper are to provide general descriptive information regarding dolphin management in accredited zoos and aquariums and to provide supplemental context to the other research published from the Cetacean Welfare Study data set. This paper provides a review of current habitat characteristics and management practices at those 38 accredited zoos and aquariums. These data enabled the identification and quantification of how cetacean management practices differed between participating facilities accredited by the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Variables were selected based on their potential association with welfare including the physical habitat, environmental enrichment, and training programs. The variables were also used for subsequent research in this collection of related papers to investigate important connections between potential indicators of welfare and habitat characteristics, environmental enrichment, and training programs.

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Dataset Information

T Helper Cell Subsets and Their Functions in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

Publications

T Helper Cell Subsets and Their Functions in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>).

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