title: Immunosuppression, sialic acid, and sialyltransferase of neonatal and maternal bovine serum.
abstract: Serum samples of 7 cows from -10 to +10 days following parturition and of 7 calves from 0 to 20 days following birth were tested for the ability to inhibit mitogen-stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes, for cortisol and progesterone concentrations, and for sialic acid and sialyltransferase activity. Calf serum inhibited phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes, with maximal inhibition at 12-24 h following birth, whereas no consistent immunosuppressive activity was detected in the maternal serum. Sialic acid was greatly elevated in calf serum (4.8 +/- 0.2 mumol/ml) relative to adult control values (1.3 +/- 0.1) and decreased continuously from day 0 to day 20. Sialic acid of maternal serum was slightly elevated prior to parturition (1.7 +/- 0.1) and increased to peak at 2.5 +/- 0.1 on day 8 following parturition. Sialyltransferase of both maternal and calf serum increased dramatically following parturition to peak at day 2. For calf serum, a moderate correlation was observed between sialic acid and cortisol concentration (r = 0.71) and between sialic acid and suppression of PHA-stimulated proliferation (r = 0.60). The results demonstrate that serum of 12-24 h-old calves is immunosuppressive in vitro, and suggest that changes in sialic metabolism may accompany cortisol-related immunosuppression in these animals.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids; D011374:Progesterone; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D006854:Hydrocortisone