The Effect of Glucocorticoid on Immunoglobulin Secretion Into Colostrum in Cows

Abstract

Summary.The effect of corticostLToid-induced parturition on transfer of immunoglobulin into mammary secretion of cows has been studied. Seven nonlactating cows in late gestation were injected intramuscularly with a long-actinj; synthetic glucocorticoid and the concentrations of IgG, and IRC, were followed in l)!()od serum and nianiniary secretion which were collected before and after parturition.Within 1 week of injection the udder became distended with secretion identical in appearance to mature milk. In contrast to the situation in normal cows approaching parturition, l>oth the concentration of IgGj in secretion and the selective index of IgG, decreased after the glucocorticoid injection. A feature of the results was the absence in treated cows of the characteristic decrease in serum concentration of IgG, just before parturition.It is concluded that glucocorticoid treatment of cows in late pregnancy results in a decreased availability of colostral imnmnoglobulin to the newborn calf.

Factors Affecting Susceptibility of Calves to Disease

“…Calves, when in the presence of their dams rather than in isolation, appear to absorb more Ig from colostrum (36,37,149,150). Induction of parturition by slow-acting (14 days) corticosteroids resulted in reduced IgG 1 transfer to colostrum (14) and reduced efficiency of absorption of Ig by calves born of such cows (57). However, quick-acting (62 h)corticosteroids appeared to have less adverse effect on colostral Ig or on absorption of Ig by the calf (85).…”

Artificial induction of lactation in ewes: the importance of prolactin and growth hormone for initiation of lactation induced with prostaglandin F2α

“…Further, glucocorticoids will initiate copious milk secretion in normal pregnant ewes (Delouis & Denamur 1967;Denamur 1971), cows (Tucker & Meites 1967;Brandon et al 1974), and goats (Thorburn e,/ al. 1972), and also in non-pregnant ewes with mammary glands developed by a series of injections of ovarian steroids (Fulkerson & McDowell 1974a;Fulkerson et af.…”

Localized Humoral Immunity with Particular Reference to Ruminants

“…Subsequently an attempt was made to determine whether similar local influences affected transfer of Igd into colostrum. This was carried out by measuring the changes in the selective transfer of IgGi in cows in which two mammary glands were milked continuously during the period preceding calving while the other two glands were allowed to undergo normal involution (Brandon & Lascelles 1973). In contrast to the striking increases in selective index for Igd in un-milked glands as parturition approached, the increases in milked glands were reduced in magnitude and delayed in time of onset.…”

“…In connection with the above, attention is drawn to recent experiments on the effects of cortico-steroid induced lactogenesis on the transfer of immunoglobulin into the mammary secretion of cows (Brandon et al 1973). Intramuscular injection of long acting synthetic gluco-corticoid into nonlactating cows in late gestation was followed by a substantial production of secretion resembling mature milk.…”