Pterins as Sensors of Response to the Application of Fe(3+)-Dextran in Piglets

The aim of the presented study was to assess the effect of a single administration of Fe(3+)-dextran on immune cell counts and pterin biomolecule production as novel sensors of the piglets’ immune system activation, and to determine concentrations of cortisol, a traditional hormonal biosensor of the stress response. Pterins (neopterin and biopterin) in the piglets’ blood serum were analyzed by separation using reversed-phase HPLC. A single dose of Fe(3+)-dextran produced a special stress situation in the piglets’ organism which manifested itself by an increased production of neopterin (p < 0.05) and biopterin (p < 0.01) in the experimental piglets. Changes in cortisol concentrations and leukocyte counts were influenced by handling stress and were not specifically correlated to iron dextran application. Iron concentrations in the internal environment of the experimental piglets’ group were higher by an order of magnitude compared with the controls, and the highest serum concentrations of iron (p < 0.01) were reached 24 h following Fe(3+)-dextran administration. The data presented offer a new perspective on the evaluation of stress situations in the animal organism and, not least importantly, extends the rather modest current list of references on the role of pterins in livestock animals.