Functional and ultrastructural evaluation of neutrophils from foals and lactating and nonlactating mares.
Neutrophils from 4 pony foals, 3 lactating pony mares, and 3 nonlactating mares were evaluated ultrastructurally and by in vitro function tests. Neutrophils from foals had significantly (P = 0.05) less random migration than neutrophils from mares; values in tests for iodination and Staphylococcus aureus ingestion were also lower with foal neutrophils. Neutrophils from lactating mares had lower responses to iodination, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and random migration tests than did neutrophils from nonlactating mares. Ultrastructurally, granule concentration did not differ significantly among groups. A slight decrease in primary granules and a corresponding increase in granules with a flocculent matrix indicates partial spontaneous neutrophil degranulation in foals and lactating mares.
D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000276:immunology; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D002465:Cell Movement; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007774:Lactation; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011247:Pregnancy