Effects of the mammary gland on functional capacities of blood mononuclear leukocyte populations from periparturient cows.

The composition and functional capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocyte populations from dairy cows are altered substantially during the peripartal period. These changes are associated with a heightened susceptibility of the mammary gland to infection. It has been postulated that the metabolic demands associated with lactogenesis may impact negatively leukocyte function during the periparturient period. In the present study, serum immunoglobulin G1 concentration and functional capacities of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes from intact (n = 6) and mastectomized (n = 6) periparturient Jersey cows were evaluated and compared. Cell function assessments included lymphocyte proliferation, immunoglobulin M secretion, and interferon-gamma secretion by unstimulated and pokeweed mitogen stimulated mononuclear leukocytes. Data were summarized as mean responses for 5-d periods beginning 21 d prepartum and concluding at 19 d postpartum. The progressive decrease in serum immunoglobulin G in intact but not mastectomized cows before parturition likely was attributable to the selective uptake of this isotype by the mammary gland. Lymphocyte proliferation and secretion of interferon-gamma and polyclonal IgM by mitogen-stimulated leukocytes from intact cows decreased during the 15-d period before calving, reaching a nadir at 0 to 4 d postpartum. From 5 to 19 d postpartum, these functions often were comparable to those observed 2 to 3 wk prepartum. Functions of leukocytes from mastectomized cows did not change during the study period, although they often were of lower magnitude than those of cells from nonlactating cows. These results reconfirm the occurrence of a generalized reduction in blood mononuclear leukocyte function during the periparturient period. They also suggest that the reduction in leukocyte function during the period may be, in part, due to the physiologic demands imposed on the dairy cow by the lactating mammary gland.