Few studies dealt with the immune status of ewes at parturition and during post partum. Sheep fed a conventional diet
showed a hyporesponsiveness of humoral responses and a drop
in the concentration of plasma inflammatory cytokines, such as
IL-6 and IL-1, and of IL-10 from parturition to 2 week post
partum. PUFA supplementation partially succeeded in reducing
the hyporesponsiveness in humoral immune response of sheep
around parturition. Nevertheless, dietary supplementation with -3 PUFA from flaxseed altered the innate inflammatory responses
of dairy ewes after parturition in terms of cytokine production.
Ewes supplemented with flaxseed showed an increased reactivity to inflammation by the maintenance of enhanced levels of IL-10
and IL-6 until 2 wk post partum and of IL-1.
This experiment demonstrated that flaxseed supplementation
can contribute to reduce the length of immune depression during
post partum, by altering cytokines production, and to support the
defense mechanisms orchestrated by the investigated cytokines in
sheep after parturition. Further studies are needed to verify the
responses of cells from ewes supplemented with flaxseed during
post partum to in vitro stimulation of inflammatory mechanisms