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A number of goose breeds are raised commercially in China. However, the data on the slaughter performance of the goose breeds and the nutritional value of their meats lack a thorough comparative analysis. In this systematic review, the slaughter performance of the goose breeds and nutritional value of their meats were comparatively analyzed to provide an overview of the characteristics of the goose breeds raised commercially in China. Fifteen goose breeds were selected from 27 research articles published up to January 2022 on the slaughter performance of the goose breeds raised commercially in China and their nutrient composition after literature searching, literature screening, variety selection, and data collation. The slaughter indexes of the goose breeds and the basic nutrient composition, amino acid composition, and fatty acid composition of the meats of the goose breeds were standardized using min-max normalization and compared. The results suggest that the slaughter indexes and nutritional indicators of the meats of Yangzhou white goose, Xupu goose, Landaise geese, and Sichuan white goose are more balanced than those of the meats of the other goose breeds. The results of this review can lay the foundation for optimizing the breeding methods of the commercially raised goose breeds and processing methods of the meats of the geese. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key index to measure the tenderness and flavor of pork. Wannanhua pig, a famous indigenous pig breed in Anhui Province, is renowned for its high lipid deposition and high genetic divergence, making it an ideal model for investigating the lipid position trait mechanisms in pigs. However, the regulatory mechanisms of lipid deposition and development in pigs remain unclear. Furthermore, the temporal differences in gene regulation are based on muscle growth and IMF deposition. The purpose of this study was to study the expression changes of longissimus dorsi (LD) at different growth stages of WH pigs at the molecular level, to screen the candidate genes and signaling pathways related to IMF during development by transcriptome sequencing technology, and to explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism of IMF deposition-related genes at different development stages. In total, 616, 485, and 1487 genes were differentially expressed between LD60 and LD120, LD120 and LD240, and LD60 and LD240, respectively. Numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with lipid metabolism and muscle development were identified, and most of them were involved in IMF deposition and were significantly up-regulated in LD120 and LD240 compared to LD60. STEM (Short Time-series Expression Miner) analysis indicated significant variations in the mRNA expression across distinct muscle development stages. The differential expression of 12 selected DEGs was confirmed by RT-qPCR. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism of IMF deposition and provide a new way to accelerate the genetic improvement of pork quality.

Marek's disease (MD), a class II infectious, lymphoproliferative disease that mainly afflicts poultry, has been shown to cause wasting, limb paralysis, and often acute death. It is a neoplastic disease caused by a cell-binding herpesvirus that leads to the formation of tumors in various organs and tissues. Our previous reports have found that the microRNA, gga-miR-29b-3p, showed abnormal expression in MD lymphoma. However, it remains unknown whether gga-miR-29b-3p affects MD tumorigenesis.The MD tumor cell line MSB1 was chosen to analyze the characteristics of gga-miR-29b-3p in tumors. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell, respectively, and cell apoptosis and cycle were analyzed via fluorescent staining and flow cytometry, respectively. The regulation between gga-miR-29b-3p and its potential target genes was verified by dual luciferase results and loss-of-function assays. The effect of target genes was verified by examining the degree of RNA interference on MSB1 cells.Analysis revealed that gga-miR-29b-3p impaired the proliferation of the MSB1 MD tumor cell line, induced apoptosis without obvious effects on the cell cycle, and suppressed the expression of the invasion-associatedOverall, gga-miR-29b-3p was demonstrated to have a suppressive effect in MD lymphoma progression via the targeting of the

We have explored the effect of boron in drinking water on the microstructure, mechanical barrier, immune barrier, antioxidant activity, and cell proliferation in rat jejunum. The treatment resulted in a significant increase in the jejunum villi height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth compared to the control group. The results showed that the jejunum villi height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth of the rats in experimental groups IV and V significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Furthermore, boron treatment resulted in a significant increase in the number of rat jejunum goblet cells, intraepithelial lymphocyte and proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive cells as well as the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A along with increased activity or content of total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity. However, there was a decrease in expression of these markers in rats receiving the highest dosage of boron (640 mg/L). The results show that supplementing drinking water with low doses of boron could improve the microstructure of rat jejunum, enhance mucosal immunity, mechanical barrier function, and antioxidant activity, and promote cell proliferation.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the administration of boron on viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle of primary rat Sertoli cells (SCs) in vitro. SCs were aseptically isolated from 18–22-day-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. SCs were identified with immunofluorescence using anti-vimentin antibody. Further, to investigate the effects of boron on Sertoli cells, SCs of the boron treatment group were exposed to different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 40, and 80 mmol/L) of boric acid. Using MTT and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, the impact of boron on SCs viability was analyzed. Cell apoptosis and cycle of SCs were analyzed using flow cytometry. A concentration of 0.5 mmol/L boric acid resulted in the highest viability and lowest necrosis and apoptosis. Above this concentration (even 1.0 mmol/L) showed lower viability and higher levels of necrosis and apoptosis. Administration of 10 mmol/L) of boron exhibited significant adverse effects on Sertoli cells (P

Enteric infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals worldwide. Immunotherapy against intestinal infection is a well-known alternative to the antibiotic strategy. Herein, we demonstrated that isoleucine significantly suppressed the multiplication of E. coli in the presence of IPEC-J2 cells. Isoleucine supplementation enhanced the concentrations of total plasma protein and IgA in pigs compared to the alanine control diet, while inhibiting the increase in plasma endotoxin and IL-6 contents induced by E. coli challenge. A significant interaction between the E. coli challenge and the diet treatment was found in the red blood cell volume. Isoleucine improved the expression of porcine β-defensin-1 (pBD-1), pBD-2, pBD-3, pBD-114 and pBD-129 in the jejunum and ileum of pigs with or without E. coli challenge. Conclusively, isoleucine attenuated the infection caused by the E. coli challenge possibly through increasing the intestinal β-defensin expression and inhibiting the increase in plasma endotoxin and IL-6 in weaned pigs.

The transfer of maternal antibodies to offspring can effectively protect against avian influenza virus (AIV) infection during early life in chickens and can prevent AIV spread by decreasing the overall percentage of the avian population susceptible to this pathogen. Herein, we evaluated maternal antibody transfer dynamics in whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus), which represent an important AIV host species. In total, 57 eggs from 19 nests were collected to study the relationship between egg yolk AIV-specific antibody concentrations and factors including egg size, laying order, maternal serum AIV antibody titer, and maternal body condition. Overall, we found that AIV-specific antibodies were present in the serum of 63.2 % of surveyed female swans and were transferred to 50.8 % of analyzed eggs. We found maternal AIV-specific antibody concentration and body weight to be positively correlated with egg yolk AIV antibody concentration, whereas egg laying order was negatively correlated with yolk antibody titer. Overall, these findings maternal transfer of AIV-specific antibodies may function as a key mechanism governing the dynamics of AIV infection in swan populations.

Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis aimed at comprehensively assessing avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection seroprevalence and infection-related risk factors among humans in China. We reviewed published studies pertaining to H9N2 seroprevalence of in China from inception to March 20, 2020, with PubMed, Clinical Trial, VIP, CNKI and databases being used to identify English and Chinese articles. After excluding the incomplete literature and data, 45 studies about risk factor of human H9N2 viral infections in China were analyzed by systematic review and meta-analysis. Our results showed that 45 studies (59,590 total patients) met the inclusion criteria. Overall H9N2 infection seroprevalence in China was estimated to be 5.56% (95%CI = 3.88–7.28), while that from central China the seroprevalence was 22.72% (95%CI = 12.18–33.84), with this prevalence being greater than that observed in other regions. H9N2 infection seroprevalence was related to sampling time, testing methodology, gender, and other demographic factors. This review will provide a basis for further understanding the risk factors of H9N2 infections in China, and it is necessary to study how to formulate strict and targeted measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Supplementing different quantities of boron can significantly affect immune function in rat spleen, but the mechanism of action behind this effect remains unclear. Our purpose was to study the involvement of the estrogen membrane receptor GPR30 in the effect of boron on the proliferation, apoptosis, and immune function of rat spleen lymphocytes. Results showed that the addition of 0.4 mmol/L boron had a beneficial effect on the immune function and proliferation of spleen lymphocytes, but the addition of 40 mmol/L boron had opposite effect. After using G-15 to selectively inhibit GPR30, the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, the content of IL-2 and IFN-γ, and the expression of PCNA protein were significantly decreased, while lymphocyte apoptosis rate increased significantly (p 0.05), while the addition of 40 mmol/L boron did not change the effects on lymphocyte subsets, proliferation and apoptosis. The results suggested that GPR30 mediates the effects of 0.4 mmol/L boron boron on the proliferation, apoptosis and immune function of spleen lymphocytes.

Over the past decade, various avian influenza viruses have been isolated from wild ducks found in the northeast of China. To monitor the prevalence of multiple subtype specific AIVs antibodies, 1705 wild ducks' eggs from six wetlands of northeast China were analyzed for surveillance of H1, H3, H5, and H7 AIVs antibodies by c-ELISA and HI test from Jan 2017 to Dec 2019. The results show that the combined frequency of multiple subtype specific AIVs antibodies were H1 (12.32%), H3 (8.15%), H5 (2.05%), and H7 (3.46%) respectively. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the geographical distribution of AIVs in China, and the risk factors for human infection is of vital importance. This study provides basic data for other researchers to deeply study AIVs distribution characteristics, and for governments to develop detailed measures to control the spread of AIVs.

Boron is an essential trace element in animals. Appropriate boron supplementation can promote thymus development; however, a high dose of boron can lead to adverse effects and cause toxicity. The influencing mechanism of boron on the animal body remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of boron on cytokine expression, thymosin and thymopoietin secretion, antioxidant function, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway in the thymus of rats. We found that supplementation with 10 and 20 mg/L boron to the drinking water significantly elevated levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2), interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin 4 (IL-4), and thymosin α1 in the thymus of rats (p < 0.05), increased the number of positive proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA+) cells and concentrations of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) (p < 0.05), and promoted mRNA expression of PCNA and ERK1/2 in thymocytes ...

Although the effective transmission of the H5N1 virus from humans to humans has yet to be further observed, humans are at increased risk of a pandemic caused by H5N1. In order to fully evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factor of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection among in mainland China, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. In this review, we searched literature on the seroprevalence of H5N1 infection among humans in mainland China from 1 January 1997 to 20 October 2018 in English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Google scholar, Cochrane library, Clinical Trial, VIP, CNKI and WanFang database. We made a selection according to the title and the abstract of paper, and then, we excluded duplicated literature, and data incomplete literature according to the exclusion criteria we formulated. Finally, we extracted how many humans have H5N1 infection from the obtained studies to establish the seroprevalence of H5N1 infection among humans in mainland China. A total of 56 studies (including data of 35,159 humans) were compliant with our criteria. In China, the overall seroprevalence of H5N1 infection among humans was 2.45% (862/35,159), while the seroprevalence of H5N1 infection among humans from central China was 7.32% (213/2,911), higher than those in other regions of China. The seroprevalence of H5N1 infection was associated with test method, sampling time and demographic characteristics of humans. However, there was no significant difference in the effect of gender on the seroprevalence of H5N1 among humans in China. The purpose of this review was to better understand the real infection rate of H5N1 virus among humans and evaluate the potential risk factors for the zoonotic spread of H5N1 virus to humans. Sufficient epidemiological data are important to explore and understand the prevalent status of AIVs throughout the country and to disease control.

Nutritional induction of endogenous antimicrobial peptide expression is considered a promising approach to inhibit the outgrowth and infection of pathogenic microbes in mammals. The present study investigated possible regulation of porcine epithelial β-defensins in response to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in vivo and in vitro. BCAA treatment increased relative mRNA expression of jejunal and ileal β-defensins in weaned piglets. In IPEC-J2 cells, isoleucine, leucine, and valine could stimulate β-defensin expression, possibly associated with stimulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Inhibition of Sirt1 and ERK completely blocked the activation of ERK and 90RSK protein by isoleucine, simultaneously decreasing defensin expression. BCAA stimulate expression of porcine intestinal epithelial β-defensins with isoleucine the most, potent possibly through activation of the Sirt1/ERK/90RSK signaling pathway. The β-defensins regulation of lipopolysaccharide was related with an ERK-independent pathway. BCAA modulation of endogenous defensin might be a promising approach to enhance disease resistance and intestinal health in young animals and children.

The effect of selenium yeast in combination with boron on both growth and quality of the muscle in broilers was investigated. A total of 600 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into five groups with 120 broilers per group (6 replicates per group). The control group received a basal diet, and experimental groups I–IV received the same basal diet supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg selenium yeast and different doses of boron (0, 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg, respectively). The experiment was conducted for 42 days. Breast and thigh muscles were harvested and muscle quality were examined on day 21 and day 42 of the experiment. Compared to the control group, at 21 days of age, the thigh muscle weight and index were significantly increased in broilers of experimental group II (all P

Effects of boron( B) on the serum biochemical index and microstructure of immune organs in male obese rats were studied.40 male SD rats( 3-month old) were divided into five groups: normal control group, high-fat-diet control group and boron supplemental group of low, medium and high dose, randomly. The normal control group were fed with normal diet, the other 4 groups were fed with highfat diet to establish the model of obesity for 8 weeks. The boron supplemental group of low, medium and high dose were supplemented 20, 40 and 80 mg B / L in drinking water for 90 d, respectively. At the end, the rats were anesthetized and bled. The blood were collected from right atrium to detected the biochemical indexes related to liver function, and the thymus and spleen were obtained to weighted and fixed, then the samples were made into paraffin sections, stained with hematoxylin-eosin( HE) stain, observed and measured the histological parameters of immune organs.Compared with normal control group, the Lee's index and abdominal fat rate, the level of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol( LDL-c) and the thymus weight were significantly increased( P0. 05), but the level of serum total protein( TP) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c) were significantly decreased( P0. 05) in high-fat-diet control group, 40 mg /L and 80 mg / L supplement groups of boron. However, these detection indexes did not change significantly( P0. 05) in 20 mg / L supplement groups of boron. Compared with the high-fat-diet control group, the Lee's index and abdominal fat rate, the level of serum Apolipoprotein B( apo B) and LDL-c, the thymus weight and index were significantly decreased( P0. 05), but the level of serum TP and high density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c) were significantly increased( P0. 05) in 20 mg /L supplement groups of boron. The level of serum LDL-c and thymus weight was significantly lower( P0. 05) in40 mg / L supplement groups of boron. But all the above detection indicators did not change significantly( P0. 05) in 80 mg / L supplement groups of boron. Under the microscope, compared with high-fat-diet control group, splenic nodule area was increased significantly( P0. 05), splenic periarterial lymphatic sheath, marginal zone and splenic cord were also thicker significantly( P0. 05), thymus medulla / cortex ratio decreased significantly( P0. 05), the cells arranged closely, vacuolar like structures were less in the thymus medulla of 20 mg / L and 40 mg / L supplement groups of boron. Microstructure of spleen and thymus did not change significantly in 80 mg / L supplement groups of boron.Supplementation of 20 mg B / L could decrease the level of serum apo B and LDL-c, and increase the level of serum HDL-c, and protect the liver function and immune organ of rat from damage caused obese by high fat diet.

This paper aims to evaluate the effects of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus natto) on muscle development and meat quality of broilers. In this study, 480 broilers (1 day old) were randomly divided into 4 groups. Group A was fed with a basal diet. The basal diets of Group B, Group C, and Group D were respectively supplemented with 50 mg/kg chlortetracycline, 200 mg/kg probiotics, and 400 mg/kg probiotics. On day 21 and day 42, in each group, 18 randomly selected broilers were tested to determine muscle performances. On day 21, compared with Group A, Group C and Group D showed no significant difference in muscle weight, muscle fiber diameter, meat color, drip loss, shear loss, or cooking loss (P > 0.05). On day 42, compared with Group A, Group C and Group D showed significant increases in muscle weight and muscle fiber diameter and significant decreases in b* value, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force (P < 0.05). Compared with Group A and Group B, Group C and Group D showed obviously improved muscle microstructure. In conclusion, diets supplemented with 200 or 400 mg/kg probiotics could promote muscular development and meat quality of broilers in the late stage of growth.

This study investigated the effects of chitooligosaccharide on lipid metabolism, immune organ development, and lymphocyte apoptosis in broiler chickens. A total of 480 one-day-old broiler chickens (Arbor Acres) were randomly and evenly assigned to control group and experimental groups I, II, and III. The control group was given a basic diet, while experimental groups I, II, and III were given basic diets for 42 days, supplemented with 50 mg/kg chlortetracycline, 20, and 40 mg/kg chitooligosaccharide, respectively. We found levels of serum triglycerides (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to be significantly reduced in experimental group II after 21 days, while the periarterial lymphatic sheath area of the spleens and the average number of bursa of Fabricius nodes were markedly increased. The serum total protein (TP) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, bursa of Fabricius index, and bursa of Fabricius lobule areas were additionally increased in experimental group III. After 42 days, the serum TP content had also increased and the bursa of Fabricius lobule area was augmented as well in experimental group II. Moreover, the splenic periarterial lymphatic sheath areas and the average numbers of bursa of Fabricius nodes were significantly increased in experimental group III. At both 21 and 42 days, numbers of Caspase-3 positive cells in spleen and bursa of Fabricius were significantly decreased in experimental groups II and III. Our results show that appropriate supplementation of chitooligosaccharide may improve lipid metabolism, promote immune organ development, and inhibit lymphocyte apoptosis in broilers.

Correction for ‘Isoleucine attenuates infection induced by E. coli challenge through the modulation of intestinal endogenous antimicrobial peptide expression and the inhibition of the increase in plasma endotoxin and IL-6 in weaned pigs’ by Man Ren et al., Food Funct., 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9fo00218a.

This study demonstrated the mechanisms of boron effects in a rat model and provided a scientific basis for the rational of boron use. These findings were achieved by investigating the effects of boron (10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 mg/L in drinking water or 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 96 mg/kg BW) on rat serum immunoglobulins (IgGs), splenic cytokines, lymphocyte subsets, as well as on lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Addition of 20 (3) and 40 (6) mg/L (mg/kg BW) of boron to drinking water significantly increased rat serum IgG concentrations, splenic IFN-γ and IL-4 expression as well as the number of splenic CD3+, CD4+ and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)+ cells. Supplementation of drinking water with 40 mg/L (6 mg/kg BW) boron also markedly increased splenic IL-2 expression and the CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio and reduced splenic CD8+ cell number. Supplementation with 80 mg/L (12 mg/kg BW) boron significantly increased CD3+ and PCNA+ cell numbers (P

Cytokines within the uterus are critical in the maternal-fetal immune regulation. Immunosuppressive cytokine IL-35 was recently discovered inhibitory cytokine, which were pivotal in the establishment of immune tolerance against self-antigens and antigens encountered in foreign implantation. In order to analyze the role of IL-35 in maternal-fetal immune tolerance, the expression patterns of IL-35 in mouse endometrium were studied during early pregnancy by immunohistochemistry, ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR. As results, we found that IL-35 positive cells in the uterus showed significant distribution difference after fetal implantation, which mainly distributed in luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium of mouse uterus from gestational day 1 to 2, and glandular epithelium and stroma from gestational day 4 to 7. The number of positive cells, immunoreactive scores, protein and mRNA expression of IL-35 showed firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of pregnancy day. The largest contents of IL-35 in the uterus were detected on gestational day 4. Compared with non-pregnant mice, pregnant mice showed the significantly increased mRNA expression of Ebi3 (Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3, IL-35 subunit) in the endometrium on gestational day 2 and the highest level of expression on gestational day 4. The mRNA expression of p35 (IL-35 subunit) was significantly lower than that of Ebi3 gene and showed the inconsistent change from gestational day 5 to 7. However, the significant correlation existed between the immunohistochemical expression, contents and mRNA expression of IL-35. These results indicated that IL-35 contributed to the establishment and maintenance of maternal-fetal tolerance during early pregnancy.

In order to determine the relationship between boron and development of the spleen, especially in the promoting biological effects, we examined the effects of different levels of boron on weight, organ index, microstructure, and antioxidative activities of the spleen in rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected and treated with different concentrations of boron, and then, the organs were resected and weighed. One half of the tissue was fixed and embedded in paraffin to observe tissue structure changes. The other half of the tissue was homogenated for determining the antioxidant activities. The results showed that 40 mg/L of boron could increase weight, organ indexes, and antioxidant capacity of spleens and improve the spleen tissue structure, while the boron concentration above 80 mg/L could decrease weight, organ indexes, and antioxidant capacity of spleens and damage the spleen tissue structure. The higher the concentration, the more serious the damage was. Especially at the concentration of 640 mg/L, it could significantly inhibit the development of the spleen and even exhibit toxic effect. Hence, low boron concentration played a protective role in the development of the spleen, while high boron concentration could damage the organs and even produce toxic effect.

The effects of drinking boron exposure on the mass, organ indexes and structure of adrenal gland were studied in the paper. Methods 192 Sprague-Dawley rats (28 +/- 2 days) with no bacteria infecting were divided into six groups (n = 32, male = female) randomly. Treated rats drunk the distilled water which supplemented with boron of 0, 40, 80, 160, 320 and 640 mg/L, respectively, for 60 days. At the 30th and the 60th day of experiment, 16 rats (n = 8, male = female) of each group were selected and made into narcosis with 10% Chloral Hydrate. The adrenal glands were obtained, weighted and fixed after dissection, then the samples were made into paraffin sections, stained with HE stain and chromaffin, observed and photographed by Olympus CH-30 microphotograph system.Compared with control group, the average mass of adrenal gland of male rats in each experiment group decreased significantly or most significantly at the 30th day of experiment (P0.05 or P0.01), but the index of adrenal gland of male rats in the group of 640 mg/L boron at 60th day of experiment increased significantly (P0.05). Under the microscope, the microstructure of adrenal gland of rats in the group of 40 mg/L boron were better obviously than control group, and the numbers of chromaffin granules in chromaffin cell increased obviously. The histopathological changes of different degree could be observed in the group of 80 to 640 mg/L boron, and they became remarkable with the boron supplementation. By comparative observation, the damage of cells in adrenal medulla appeared ahead of them in adrenal cortex, and the pathological change of adrenal gland in male rats were obvious than female rats.Drinking supplemented with 40 mg/L boron could prompt the structure of adrenal gland in rats, but could cause different degree damage, or even obvious toxic effect when the concentration of boron supplementation in drinking from 80 to 640 mg/L.

To observe the effects of boron supplemented in water on the blood composition in rats.192 Sprague-Dawley rats (28 +/- 2) d were randomly divided into six groups (n=32, 16 male rats and 16 female rats), and drank the distilled water supplemented with 0, 40, 80, 160, 320 and 640 mg/L boron for 60 days, respectively. At the 30th and the 60th day of experiment period, 16 rats (n=8, male=female) from each group were selected and made into narcosis with 10% Chloral Hydrate. Then the blood were obtained from the right atrium after dissection, the blood smear were made and stained with Wright's and Giemsa's stains at the same time. Then the red cells count, the white cells count, the reticulocyte counts, the hemoglobinometry and the differential leukocytes count were determined.In comparison with control group, the reticulocyte percentages of all experiment groups exhibited different degree increases, the RBC numbers and Hb contents in rats consuming 40 and 80 mg/L of boron more significantly raised (P0.05), but the changes of the leucocyte percentages were more no significant. The numbers of RBC and WBC and the Hb contents in rats supplemented with from 160 to 640 mg/L of boron all decreased significantly or most significantly (P0.05 or P0.01), and the percentages of neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil and monocytic showed similar changes on the 60th day of experiment time.The distilled water supplemented with 40 mg/L of boron could promote the hemopoiesis and Hb synthesis in rats, and the drinking water supplemented with 80 mg/L of boron would have some promotion on the erythropoiesis and Hb synthesis; but when the boron supplementation from 160 to 640 mg/L, the higher doses boron could inhibit the hemopoiesis and Hb synthesis obviously, or even exhibit apparent toxicity action.

This study was performed to investigate changes in growth performance, immune organs weight and microstructure of broilers fed different levels of boron (0, 100, 200 and 400 mg/L) in drinking water for 6 weeks. A total of 240 newly-hatched Gushi chickens [body weight (BW)=34±2 kg; male: female=1:1] were equally divided into 4 treatments with 5 pens each (n=12 per pen). The birds were weighed after fasting for 12 h every two weeks until the end of experiment. The thymus, bursa and spleen samples were collected every two weeks and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde phosphate buffer at room temperature (25°C). Results showed that BW and average daily gain significantly reduced by addition of 200 and 400 mg/L boron to drinking water compared to control group (P200 mg/L) could significantly inhibit the growth of immune organs and even exhibit toxic effects.