EN
The aim of the study was to examine the influence of prebiotics (mannan oligosachacharides and b-glukanes) on alternations in peripheral blood leukocytes and interleukin 1(IL1) activity in calves. Calves in group I received feed supplemented by prebiotics. The second group of calves (group II) was the control group and received the same feed, but without prebiotics. The leukocyte subpopulations were determined by flow cytometry and the following parameters were assayed: the total number of leukocytes (WBC), general percentage of lymphocytes (LYM) and their subsets CD2+ (T lymphocytes), CD4+ (T helper lymphocytes), CD8+ (T suppressor/ cytotoxic lymphocytes) and WC4+ (B lymphocytes) as well as neutrophils (PMNL) and mid-size leukocyte per cent (MID), i.e. total value of monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. Additionally, the interleukin 1 activity in serum of the calves was estimated during the study. The obtained results indicated that the percentage of some subsets of T lymphocytes, such as CD 2+ and CD 8+, and also WC4+, significantly increased in the peripheral blood of the calves. A similar effect was observed for interleukin 1 (IL1) activity in the serum of the studied calves. The remaining leukocyte parameters did not change significantly.