The effect of willow fodder feeding on immune cell populations in the blood and milk of late-lactating dairy goats.

In a previous study, we showed that access to willow fodder decreased somatic cell counts (SCC) in the milk of local Mamber goats grazing in brushland at the end of lactation. To test whether the consumption of willow affects the cells of the immune system, Alpine crossbred dairy goats grazing in the same environment were either offered free access to freshly cut willow fodder (W, n = 24) or not (C, n = 24) for 2 weeks. The willow fodder contained 7.5 g/kg DM of salicin. The other major secondary compounds were catechin, myricitrin, hyperin and chlorogenic acid (2.2, 2.6, 1.0 and 0.75 g/kg DM, respectively). Udder health status was determined before the experiment, and each of the two groups included five (W) or six (C) goats defined as infected, as established by microbial cfu in milk, and 19 (W) or 18 (C) non-infected goats. Goats ingested, on average, 600 g of DM from willow (25% of food intake), resulting in minor changes in dietary quality compared to the controls, as established by faecal near-IR spectrometry. Throughout the 2 weeks of experiment, differences between groups in dietary CP contents were minor and affected neither by infection nor by access to willow; the dietary percentage of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) decreased in C and increased in W; dietary acid detergent fibre (ADF) increased; and the dietary tannin contents decreased for both treatments. However, milking performance and milk quality attributes in both W and C goats were similar. Initial SCC and milk neutrophil (cluster of differentiation (CD)18+ and porcine granulocyte (PG)68) cell counts were higher in infected than in non-infected goats; counts decreased significantly in W but not in C uninfected goats. The percentage of CD8+ T-cells increased in all C goats, while in the W group, a significant increase was found only for infected goats. The consumption of willow mitigated an increase in CD8+ in blood and triggered an increase in CD8+ in milk, suggesting an immune-regulatory effect independent of udder status. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a direct nutraceutical effect of fodder ingestion on the immune status of goats.

The down-modulation of CD4 induced by the GM1 ganglioside is regulated by phosphatases and kinases: evidence from enzyme inhibitors and anti-CD45 antibodies.

The involvement of protein kinases and phosphatases in the down-modulation of expression of CD4 molecules on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) by gangliosides was studied. Exposure of PBL either to genistein or to H7 practically abolished the down-modulation of CD4 induced by GM1 and diminished their susceptibility to CD4+ down-modulation by exposure to GD1a. Staurosporine had no effect on the down-modulation of CD4 by either GM1 or GD1a. Orthovanadate treatment drastically inhibited the down-regulation of CD4 induced by GM1 but had no effect on down-modulation of CD4 induced by GD1a. Exposure to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD45 and CD45RA but not against CD45RO abrogated the down-modulation of CD4 by GM1. The down-modulation of CD4 elicited by GD1a, GD1b, or GT1b was not inhibited by anti-CD45RA and anti-CD45RO mAbs. MAbs against CD3, CD2, or HLA-DR had no effect on the GM1-induced down-modulation of CD4. In view of the differences obtained between GM1 and GD1a it was of interest to check whether these gangliosides competed for cellular binding sites. When PBL were first treated with anti-CD45RA and GM1 or with orthovanadate and GM1, which had a negligible effect on CD4 expression, and subsequently treated with GD1a the expression of CD4 was down-modulated. This demonstrated that GD1a binds to sites on the cell membrane to which GM1 does not bind. The present study indicates that the capacity of GM1 to down-modulate CD4 depended on the CD45 and particularly CD45RA molecules, while other gangliosides may utilize different cell surface structures to down-modulate the expression of CD4.

A new retroviral AIDS-like disease and/or acute leukemia induced in mice by alloimmune stimuli.

We have shown a new phenomenon demonstrating that BALB/c female mice mated to C57BL/6 males during a year (7-10 pregnancies) develop AIDS-like disease or acute leukemia after an additional immunization with fixed ConA activated paternal (C57BL/6) lymphocytes. The AIDS-like disease is sexually and vertically transmissible and easily transferable to intact BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice by filtered plasma of affected animals.

A new transmissible AIDS-like disease in mice induced by alloimmune stimuli.

The search for a suitable and reliable animal model for human AIDS that is easy to use on a large scale continues. Here we describe a new condition in mice that closely resembles human AIDS, namely, chronic lymphoproliferation with dramatic depletion of CD4-positive cells, progressive impairment of the immune responses, and Kaposi's sarcoma-like tumors or terminal B-lymphomas. The AIDS-like disease was primarily induced by mating BALB/c female mice to C57BL/6 males during a 1-year period (7-10 allogeneic pregnancies) followed by immunization with paternal lymphocytes. The disease is sexually and vertically transmissible, transferrable by cell-free plasma and is associated with autoimmune reactions to major histocompatibility complex antigens and CD4 cells. We hope that this becomes a model for studying the mechanisms of AIDS immunopathogenesis and immune-based treatment approaches.

[The functional characteristics of the peripheral blood granulocytes in erysipelatous inflammation]. / Osobennosti sostoianiia granulotsitov perifericheskoi krovi pri rozhistom vospalenii.

The receptors (FcR, C3R) and functional activity, determined by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NRT) test, of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) of low and normal density were studied in erysipelas patients. The leukocytes were obtained by sedimentation on the 2-stage gradient of Ficoll-Verographin (1.077 and 1.119 g/cu cm). No statistically significant difference in the average group indices between "light" and "normal" PNL of erysipelas patients were detected. In comparison with donor PNL, higher expression of C3R, a high spontaneous NBT(+)-PNL level and poor response to stimulation with IgG in the NBT test were observed on granulocytes of the patients. The short-term treatment of the whole blood obtained from the patients with Streptococcus haemolyticus allergen led to a significant increase in the output of "light" PNL. As negative control, brucellin treatment was used, which produced no essential effect. The treatment of donor blood with the above-mentioned antigens did not significantly affect the density of PNL. These facts suggest that in erysipelas the presence of "light" PNL is linked not with the release of granulocytes from the marrow, but with the activation of leukocytes by the products of infective inflammation.

[An assessment of body sensitization by the change in the density of the peripheral blood neutrophils]. / Otsenka sensibilizatsii organizma po izmeneniiu plotnosti neitrofilov perifericheskoi krovi.

A simple method for the assessment of the body sensitization has been developed, with peripheral blood neutrophils acting as the test system. The method consists in scintillation of the neutrophil count among the cells of the interphase ring obtained by centrifugation of 1:1 diluted peripheral blood in verografin density gradient, 1.077 g/cm3, after blood incubation with the tested allergen. Increase of the count of the neutrophils among other interphase cells by 20% or more after interaction with the allergen indicates a sensitization to this allergen. The accuracy and specificity of the method have been demonstrated in the examinations of patients with pollenosis and erysipelas.

[Effect of irradiation on the cellular sensitivity of separate NKLy tumor subpopulations to the membrane-toxic action of natural killers]. / Vliianie oblucheniia na chuvstvitel'nost' kletok iz otdel'nykh subpopuliatsii opukholi NKLy k membranotoksicheskomu deistviiu estestvennykh killerov.

A study was made of sensitivity of NKLy tumor fractions, differing in the proliferative activity, position in the cell cycle, and ploidy, to membrane-toxic action of natural killer cells from mouse spleen. The membrane toxicity index for cells of three out of five fractions under study was shown to decrease after exposure to 4 Gy radiation. It is concluded that there is no correlation between NKLy cell sensitivity to membrane-toxic effect of natural killer cells and their radiosensitivity as well as their ability to repair potentially lethal damages.

[Significance of the lability of expression of lymphocyte E-receptors in the informative value of the theophylline test in normal subjects and in patients with viral hepatitis B]. / Znachenie labil'nosti ékspressii E-retseptorov limfotsitov dlia informativnosti teofillinovogo testa v norme i pri virusnom gepatite B.

The informative value of the theophylline test has been estimated in normal subjects and in hepatitis B patients during the acute period of the disease. Experiments with varying length of incubation at 37 degrees C have revealed a lability of expression of the lymphocytic E-receptors in hepatitis B patients: this expression has been the maximum after 15 min incubation with theophylline and the E-RFC count reduced after 30 and 60 min incubation, with the E-RFC most sensitive to theophylline detectable after 15 and 30 min incubation. Correlation between the results of theophylline test and T gamma-cell count have shown identical results in normal subjects in all incubation terms when the maximum expression of E-receptors has been observed in the tested samples. In hepatitis B patients no coincidence of the results has been observed: the count of theophylline-sensitive E-RFC on conversion to the total E-RFC count surpassed the count of T gamma-cells. These results lead to a conclusion that the theophylline test should not be used for estimation of regulatory T-lymphocytes in the patients with viral hepatitis B.

[Characteristics of functional disorders of the dermal T-lymphocytes and macrophages in the basic clinical forms of erysipelas]. / Osobennosti narushenii funktsii T-limfotsitov i makrofagov dermy pri osnovnykh klinicheskikh formakh rozhi.

The "skin window" test with phytohemagglutinin and pyrogenal reveals the multiple character of disturbances in the cooperative interaction of dermal T-lymphocytes and macrophages in patients with clinical forms of erysipelas, which indicates the necessity of differentiated immunological correction.

[Effect of a streptococcal allergen on the rosette-forming capacity of the T-lymphocytes in erysipelas patients]. / Vliianie streptokokkovogo allergena na rozetkoobrazuiushchuiu sposobnost' T-limfotsitov bol'nykh rozhei.

The reaction of antigen-dependent E-rosette formation with the hemolytic streptococcal antigen in erysipelas patients is indicative of the ambiguous role of the specific immunological transformation of the body in respect of the infective agent antigens in different clinical forms of the disease and is of prognostic importance as regards the chronic transformation of the infectious process and the development of the relapses of the disease.

[Effect of x-rays on the sensitivity of cells of the murine NKLy tumor to the membrane toxic effect of natural killers]. / Vliianie rentgenovskogo izlucheniia na chuvstvitel'nost' kletok opukholi NKLy myshei k membranotoksicheskomu deistviiu estestvennykh killerov.

A study of membrane toxicity of allogenic splenocytes with regard to irradiated mouse NKLy lymphosarcoma cells (tested by the release of 3H-uridine label from target cells in the presence of exogenous RNAses) has displayed an insignificant increase, as compared with the control, in the membrane toxicity with radiation doses of 1-2 Gy and its decrease at higher doses.