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ABSORPTION AND ENDOGENOUS PRODUCTION OF IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN CALVES
Author(s) -
Husband AJ,
Brandon MR,
Lascelles AK
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1972.41
Subject(s) - colostrum , antibody , immunoglobulin g , immunoglobulin m , endogeny , chemistry , immunoglobulin a , medicine , endocrinology , immunology , biology
Summary The changes in the concentration of IgG 1 , IgG 2 , IgM and IgA were measured in the blood serum of 7 calves from birth to 18 weeks of age. The previously unsuckled calves were each fed 2 l of their dam's colostrum within the first six hours after birth. IgG 1 and IgG 2 were present in low concentrations in the sera of all calves before first suckling, IgM was found in 5 calves and IgA in only 2. Peak serum concentrations of IgM and IgA were observed twelve hours after first feeding colostrum, whereas IgG 1 and IgG 2 did not reach peak concentrations until twenty four hours. It was estimated that IgM was absorbed with an efficiency of almost 100%. The considerably lower apparent efficiencies of absorption for IgG 1 and IgG 2 were attributed to loss of these lower molecular weight immunoglobulins into the interstitial fluid. The initial increase in concentration of all four immunoglobulins was followed by a linear decline during the subsequent 8–16 days; this was taken to represent biological degradation. Regression coefficients for IgG 1 and IgG 2 were significantly less than those for IgM and IgA, reflecting the more rapid disappearance of IgM and IgA from the circulation. The results indicated that significant endogenous production of IgG 1 , IgG 2 and IgM began 8–16 days after birth and around 64 days for IgA.