Aflatoxin effects in white Leghorn chickens selected for response to sheep erythrocyte antigen. 2. Serological and organ characteristics.

Aflatoxin was fed to chickens from lines selected for high and low antibody response to sheep erythrocyte (SRBC) antigen and reciprocal crosses between the two lines. Differences were found among populations for liver, bursa, and thymus weight and antibody production to SRBC but not for spleen weight or heterophil: lymphocyte ratios. Dietary aflatoxin depressed absolute and relative weights of bursae and thymi and absolute weights of livers and spleens. Relative to body weight, however, liver and spleen weights increased. There was a large decrease in liver metabolism and a dramatic increase in heterophil: lymphocyte ratios when 5700 ppb of aflatoxin was fed, but no alteration in antibody production to SRBC antigen was detected. Population by response to aflatoxin interactions were not significant for any of the traits measured except bursa and spleen weights, suggesting a general response to this mycotoxin among lines of chickens known to be immunologically different.