Plasma lysozyme activity of Polish primitive horses under physiological conditions and in experimental fever.

This study examines the plasma lysozyme activity variability in Polish primitive horses under normal conditions as well as during induced fever experiments. The researchers measured significant decreases in leucocyte number, an increase in plasma lysozyme levels, and an associated rise in body temperature.

Study Objective and Methodology

• The intentional purpose of this study sought to understand the normal level of plasma lysozyme in Polish primitive horses, specifically the Tarpane-like breed, under standard physiological conditions and during periods of artificially induced fever.
• Researchers calculated the normal level of plasma lysozyme from measurements taken five times over a 14-month period from a group of nine horses.
• They noticed significant fluctuations between individual animals and even within a single horse’s values over time.
• This study’s experimental setup involved inducing a fever in the horses using Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharides (E.coli LPS), a type of bacterial endotoxin, at a dose of 0.1 pg/kg body weight.
• Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein just before and after LPS injection at various intervals – one hour intervals for the initial eight hours, and additional samples collected at 24 and 48 hours.

Findings

• The experiments were replicated three times across different seasons to factor in seasonal variability.
• The researchers recorded three primary changes in the measured parameters: a significant reduction in leucocyte count with the lowest value appearing two hours after LPS injection; a substantial increase in plasma lysozyme levels reaching its peak three hours post-injection; and a correlated rise in body temperature peaking four hours after the LPS injection.
• This research strongly indicates that the plasma lysozyme activity in horses, especially under induced fever conditions, shows significant variations, presenting an essential dynamic in understanding their immune responses and physiological reactions to infections.