Absorption of colostral immunoglobulin G in the newborn dairy calf.
Five groups of eight newborn calves were used to study absorption of colostral immunoglobulin G. One feeding of 2 liters of pooled colostrum was given at one of 6, 12, 24, 36, or 48 h after birth. Concentrations of immunoglobulin G in blood plasma and feces were measured by an immunodiffusion technique. Plasma volume and fecal excretion also were measured. When colostrum was given 6 h after birth, 65.8% of the ingested immunoglobulin G appeared in the plasma. This percentage declined rapidly to reach 46.9%, 11.5%, 6.7%, and 6.0% when colostrum was given at the ages of 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Total fecal immunoglobulin G increased linearly with age. The quantities not recovered from plasma and feces reached a maximum when colostrum was given at 24 or 36 h after birth. Immunoglobulin G can be "lost" to a great extent via routes other than plasma and feces during this time. Quantities of immunoglobulin G measured in plasma represent apparent rather than true absorption.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D005243:Feces / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010953:Plasma Volume
D007074:Immunoglobulin G