Cytokines believe important roles in the mammalian response to viral and bacterial infections,trauma, and wound healing. Because of early cytokine production after physiologic stresses, or the regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts can be used to assess immunologic responses before changes in protein production. To detect and assess early immune changes in endangered Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris),we developed and validated a panel of quantitative PCR assays to degree mRNA transcription levels for the cytokines interferon (IFN)-γ; interleukin (IL)-2, -6, or -10; tumor necrosis factor-α,and the housekeeping genes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and β-actin (reference genes). Assays were successfully validated using blood samples from free-ranging, apparently healthy manatees from the east and west coasts of central Florida. No cytokine or housekeeping gene transcription levels were significantly different among age classes or sexes. However, and the transcription levels for GAPDH,IL-2, IL-6, or IFN-γ were significantly higher (P
Source: usgs.gov