Immunoglobulin containing cells in normal and inflamed accessory sex glands of bulls

Abstract

The peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique was used to identify cytoplasmic immunoglobulins in the accessory sex glands of 15 normal bulls and 13 bulls with inflammation of the ASG. Immunoglobulin containing cells (ICC) of the types IgA, IgM, total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 were measured and their percentages expressed. In accessory sex glands from normal bulls, IgA containing cells were the most frequent in prostate and bulbourethral glands (86.7% and 86.1%, respectively of all ICC present) whereas in the ampulla, IgG containing cells comprised 78.6% of the ICC. IgG1 and IgG2 containing cells were present in all the accessory sex glands in approximately equal numbers. Frequencies of IgM containing cells in the ampulla, prostate and bulbourethral glands were 6.3%, 4.0% and 3.7%, respectively. Although all isotypes of ICC were present in the seminal vesicle, the very low number precluded accurate quantification. In inflamed ampulla, seminal vesicle, bulbourethral gland and colliculus seminalis, IgG containing cells were the most frequent ICC with values of 66.2%, 83.0%, 69.0% and 53.5%, respectively; IgA containing cells were the second in prevalence with values of 21.5%, 10.3% 19.3% and 40.5%, respectively. The contribution of ICC to the locally protective immunoglobulins in accessory sex gland secretions is discussed.

Distribution of lymphocytes, immunoglobulin-containing cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells in the accessory sex glands of rams experimentally infected with Actinobacillus seminis

“…The distribution of IgCC in control and infected sheep glands observed in this work is consistent with the findings demonstrated in bulls, where IgCC are also not found or are present in a very limited number in the seminal vesicles of normal animals (Campero et al 1989(Campero et al , 1990, while in the presence of an inflammatory response in the genital tract, IgCC appear in the ampullae and the seminal vesicles (Campero et al 1989). It has been noted that the production of IgA and IgG in the seminal vesicles in the bull is an essential component of the local immune response (Bier et al 1977).…”

“…However, in contrast with the results of this work, these authors found high percentages of IgG-containing-cells, a condition that only occurred in a small number in the IE group in the seminal vesicles and ampullae with active inflammatory processes. This difference may be attributed to the fact that the animals used by Foster et al (1988), had subclinical alterations of the reproductive system with local infection, since no bacteriological examinations of the semen were carried out and they only verified that the animals were free of B. ovis by serology; they also do not distinguish between young animals and adult animals, and variations are likely to occur in the amount and distribution of IgCC due to age, as has been reported in bulls (Campero et al 1989).…”