Bovine IL-18 ELISA: detection of IL-18 in sera of pregnant cow and newborn calf, and in colostrum.
In this study, we examined the concentration of bovine IL-18 in the sera of pregnant cows, their fetuses and newborn calves, and in colostrum in order to examine the role of IL-18 in bovine pregnancy and the neonatal period. A sandwich-ELISA to quantify bovine IL-18 was established using anti-porcine IL-18 monoclonal antibodies, which cross-reacted with bovine IL-18, and used it to measure the concentration of bovine IL-18 in the sera of pregnant cows, their fetuses and newborn calves, and in colostrum. Significant levels of IL-18 were detected in the sera of pregnant cows, but not in the sera obtained from the corresponding fetuses, umbilical arteries and veins. After birth, IL-18 levels in the sera of 1-day and 1-week old calves were low, and significantly increased in the sera of 1-month and 4-month old calves. IL-18 was also detected in colostrum, with the concentration of IL-18 in the first colostrum produced after delivery being the highest, and then decreasing depending on the number of milkings. Furthermore, the serum IL-18 concentration of newborn calves was increased after the oral administration of colostrum. These results suggest that IL-18 during bovine pregnancy and in the newborn period may play important roles in the maintenance of pregnancy and in the maturation of neonatal immunity.
Muneta
Yoshihiro
Y
National Institute of Animal Health, 3-1-5, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan. ymuneta@affrc.go.jp
Yoshihara
Kazuhiro
K
Minagawa
Yu
Y
Nagata
Reiko
R
Yasuyuki
Mori
M
Yamaguchi
Takahiro
T
Takehara
Kazuaki
K
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D003126:Colostrum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D020382:Interleukin-18