Dataset: Effect of chronic heat stress and inactive Salmonella Enteritidis on the immune-neuroendocrine interface of adult Japanese quail.

Abstract: Birds integrate challenging situations into the Immuno-neuroendocrine (INE) system to maintain homeostasis, but multiple challenges can compromise their response, impairing welfare. Global warming and climate change have created new scenarios increasing the chances for chronic heat stress (CHS) exposures. Although immunosuppression caused by CHS can be reversed when conditions normalize, it may impair abilities to cope with new/successive immune challenges. We evaluated in adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix), the effect of the succession of CHS and an immune challenge on the INE interface. Quails were exposed to 9 days of CHS. Then, we applied an immune challenge with Salmonella ser. Enteritidis antigen (ICH). Ten quail pairs (1 male and 1 female) were used for each combination treatment (non-CHS/non-ICH, non-CHS/ICH, CHS/non-ICH, and CHS/ICH), totalizing n = 80. Inflammatory and humoral immune responses, heterophils/lymphocytes (H/L) ratio, blood glucose concentration, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were assessed 14 days after the challenges ended. No differences were found in inflammatory or humoral immune responses. The H/L ratio was lower in males and, regardless of sex, birds submitted to CHS showed decreased responses. CHS-males exhibited lower glucose levels, while females kept them unchanged. Females showed greater MDA levels than males regardless of treatments. Female antioxidant (SOD) capacity showed higher values when going through CHS or ICH than CHS/Non-ICH males. No differences were found in total blood proteins among treatments. In conclusion, sequential challenges did not negatively affect humoral responses or pro-inflammatory potential in quail. The observed sex disparities in the basal H/L ratio, energy balance/sterile inflammation potential, and oxidative status following the CHS and ICH challenges, suggest that males are more susceptible than females. If confirmed, focus should be primary on males when aiming on strategies to mitigate welfare-related challenges.