title: Use of whole blood lymphocyte stimulation test for immunocompetency studies in bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls.
abstract: Mitogen-induced whole blood lymphocyte stimulation tests for immunocompetency studies in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) were developed. Combinations of incubation times, blood dilutions, concentrations of [3H]thymidine and [125I]2-deoxyuridine, antibiotics, phytohemagglutinin-P, and concanavalin A were tested for their effects on the stimulation index (SI). An antibiotic combination of gentamicin plus amphotericin B yielded low SI with lymphocytes from bald eagles, but not with lymphocytes from great horned owls or red-tailed hawks. Penicillin plus streptomycin caused no such depression of SI. Lymphocytes from all 3 species yielded maximum responses with a 48-hour prelabel and 12- to- 16 hour postlabel incubation period at 41 C and 1:20 blood dilution. Optimal mitogen concentrations for lymphocytes from bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls were 25 micrograms, 10 micrograms, and 10 micrograms of phytohemagglutinin-P/well, respectively, and 2.5 micrograms, 10 micrograms, and 10 micrograms of concanavalin A/well, respectively. Differences in SI were not seen between the 2 radioactive labels. The optimal concentration of the [3H]thymidine label ranged from 0.06 to 0.125 microCi/well.
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D007065:Idoxuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013936:Thymidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D010406:Penicillins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; C028784:phytohemagglutinin-P; D003208:Concanavalin A; D000666:Amphotericin B; C012439:methylthymidine; D007065:Idoxuridine; D013936:Thymidine; D013307:Streptomycin