Nonspecific resistance of breeding bulls depending on breeds, intrabreed age differences and total protein level

Abstract

Research has been conducted to study nonspecific resistance in breeding bulls depending on the breed, age within the breed and the body’s protein supply after a long winter period of operation. It was established that the general background for nonspecific resistance in animals in terms of the percentage of lysis was at the level of 32.4 ± 0.8; by the amount of lysozyme 0.29 ± 0.01 μg/ml; by specific units of protein activity 0.81±0.06 mg; bactericidal activity of blood serum 25.6±0.86%. The relationship between nonspecific resistance in breeding bulls depending on the breed has been determined. The condition of bulls in terms of total protein supply was at a relatively similar level within the reference values. In terms of the percentage of lysis, relatively low values were recorded in animals of the Jersey (24.6%), the highest in the Kostromsky and Brown Swiss — 40.3% and 40.5%, respectively. The Jersey breed also has the lowest level of specific activity units. A relatively high level of bactericidal activity of blood serum was noted in the Ayrshire (34.2%), while in other breeds bactericidal activity of blood serum was at the level of 23.7–26.4%. Significant differences were noted between the Holstein Black and motley color and Kostromsky in the amount of lysozyme in the blood serum, in specific units of activity (р ≤ 0.05), with the Jersey breed in specific units of activity (р ≤ 0.01), and with the Ayrshire breed in specific activity units (р ≤ 0.05) and bactericidal activity of blood serum (р ≤ 0.01). Between the Holstein Red red-and-white color and Jersey and Ayrshire animals, the reliability for a number of indicators was р ≤ 0.05; between the the Kostromsky, Jersey, Ayrshire and Simmental animals for total protein, the amount of lysozyme and for specific units of activity р ≤ 0.01.