Effects of monochromatic light on proliferation response of splencyte in broilers.

To investigate the effects of various monochromatic lights on splenocyte proliferation responses, a total of 260 Arbor Acre male broilers on P1 (post-hatching day 1) were exposed to blue light (BL), green light (GL), red light (RL) and white light treatments by light emitting diode system for 7 weeks, respectively. All light sources were equalized on the intensity of 15 lx and light period of 23 h daily. Morphological change of spleen and response of splenocyte proliferation were assessed by using histochemistry staining and colorimetric test in cultures of purified splenic cells. The results were as follows: (1) At P21, GL increased significantly the spleen weight by 163.6% and spleen index by 118.8% compared with RL (P < 0.05). Until P49, BL enhanced significantly the spleen weights by 42.2% compared with RL (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found in the spleen index among four light-treated groups (P > 0.05). (2) Compared with RL, GL increased significantly the diameter of splenic nodule and area of periarterial lymphatic sheath at P21 by 87.2 and 58.1%, respectively (P < 0.05); BL increased significantly the diameter of splenic nodule and area of periarterial lymphatic sheath at P49 by 64.4 and 50.5%, respectively (P < 0.05). (3) At P21, GL enhanced spleen lymphocytes proliferation in response to concanavalin A compared with RL by 50.0% (P < 0.05). Until P49, the mitogenic response in BL was significantly higher (29.4%) than that of RL (P < 0.05). (4) The interleukin-2 (IL-2) bioactivity was significantly increased to 34.3% in GL than in RL at P21 (P < 0.05). Until P49, the IL-2 bioactivity in BL was significantly higher (62.2%) than that of RL (P < 0.05). (5) There was no significant difference in the nitric oxide (NO) concentration of splenocyte among RL, GL and BL groups at P21 (P > 0.05), but the concentration in RL group at P49 was significantly increased, 59.0 and 63.7% compared to that of GL and BL groups, respectively (P < 0.05). These results suggested that the monochromatic light affected splenocyte proliferation mainly because of alterations in IL-2 bioactivity and NO production in splenocyte of broiler. In early stage of broiler growth, the action of GL was obvious, while the response of BL was stronger in later stage.