title: Effects of road transportation on lymphocyte subsets in calves.
abstract: The effect of transportation on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in 24 calves was investigated by flow cytometry. Blood was collected before departure, on arrival, at 24h and 1 week after arrival. Highest leucocyte and neutrophil counts, associated with increased concentrations of cortisol and catecholamines, indicated that stress was maximal upon arrival. At this time, a decrease in the percentages of all T lymphocyte subsets was evident, while they did not decrease as absolute counts. The proportion of CD21(+) cells did not change, indicating that the relative reduction of T lymphocyte subsets was not related to an increase in B lymphocytes. These variations may be due to the increase of a natural killer (NK) cell subset. NK cell expansion, together with increasing lymphocyte count and increasing major histocompatibility complex class II expression, may indicate stress-induced stimulation of the immune system.
authors: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università di Torino, Grugliasco (TO), Italy. fulvio.riondato@unito.it
authors: Fulvio
authors: F
authors: Riondato
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: D'Angelo
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Miniscalco
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Bellino
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: Guglielmino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000662:veterinary; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014186:Transportation