The Immune Response of the Bovine Species Infused Intramammarily with a Semi-Purified Preparation of the Flagella of Salmonella Bacteria

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Abstract
Summary: Using the methods of immobilization and bacterial chaining (somatic agglutination) for the determination of Salmonella anti-H and anti-O titer respectively, the cow was found to have an initial blood serum anti-H titer of 10 to 80 and anti-O titer of 20 to 320. Similar initial anti-H and anti-O titers were not always found in the milk. Infusion of the mammary gland with a semi-purified preparation of Salmonella flagella brought about an acute inflammation of the gland, a high systemic temperature, a drop in milk production and a shift to a more alkaline pH of the milk. An anti-H and anti-O titer response was stimulated in both the blood serum and the milk. The titer of the blood serum was invariably higher than that of the milk and the anti-O response was dominant to the anti-H response. The greatest increase in titer followed within 6 to 10 days of the first antigen infusion. Subsequent antigen infusions only maintained the response from the first infusion. The titer of the blood remained much more constant than that of the milk with the milk returning to initial titer levels within 7 to 8 days postinfusion. There was a definite titer response in the milk of the noninfused quarters; however, it was not as marked or as persistent as the titer of the infused quarters. Intramammary infusion of a semi-purified preparation of Salmonella flagella brought about a definite systemic antibody response. The marked anti-O titer indicates that part of the cellular somatic antigen remains attached to the flagella when they were removed from the cell wall. In the blood serum the anti-O antibody was predominantly IgG while anti-H antibody was about 50% IgG and 50% IgM. Semi-purified flagellar antigen of Salmonella infused intramammarily at a level of 1.0 µg/kg body weight elicited antibody response, but a dose of 9.71 µg/kg suppressed antibody response. With intravenous injection of the same antigen preparation in rabbits, a higher anti-H titer was obtained than anti-O titer.

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