Topic:Colostrum
Colostrum is the first milk produced by mares following the birth of a foal. It is rich in antibodies, particularly immunoglobulins, which are essential for the passive transfer of immunity to the newborn foal. Colostrum also contains nutrients, growth factors, and bioactive components that support the initial development and health of the foal. The composition and quality of colostrum can vary among mares, and inadequate intake or poor quality can lead to immune deficiencies in foals. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that examine the composition, factors affecting quality, and the role of colostrum in neonatal equine health.
Ulcerative dermatitis, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia in neonatal foals. This report describes transient ulcerative dermatitis, severe thrombocytopenia, and mild neutropenia in 6 foals from 4 mares from geographically diverse regions of the United States. The foals presented at <4 days of age with oral and lingual ulcers, and crusting and erythema around the eyes, muzzle, and perineal, inguinal, axillary, trunk, and neck regions. There was a severe thrombocytopenia (0-30,000 platelets/microL), leukopenia (1900-3200 white blood cells/microL), and mild neutropenia (500-1800 neutrophils/microL). Four of the 6 foals had petechiae and ecchymotic hemorrhages and 3 had bl...
Risk of transplacental transmission of Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi in California horses. The study objective was to assess the risk of transplacental transmission of Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi in foals from 4 California farms during 3 foaling seasons. Serum of presuckle foals and serum and colostrum of periparturient mares were tested using indirect fluorescent antibody tests for S. neurona and N. hughesi. Serum antibody titers were < or =10 in 366 presuckle foals tested. There was no serologic or histologic evidence of either parasite in aborted fetuses or placentas examined. Positivity for S. neurona and N. hughesi in mares increased with age. Mares < or =9 y...
Antibodies to Aqx toxin of Actinobacillus equuli in horses and foals. Actinobacillus equuli is found in the normal oral flora of horses, but has been associated with several diseases, and particularly with the usually fatal septicaemia in neonatal foals which is thought to be associated with a failure of the passive transfer of immunoglobulins via the colostrum. The Aqx protein of A equuli, belonging to the RTX family of pore-forming toxins, is also cytotoxic to horse lymphocytes. The presence of antibodies to Aqx was investigated in sera from individual horses from different regions; the sera from adult horses and foals 24 hours after birth reacted with Aqx, an...
Evaluation of treatment of colostrum-deprived kittens with equine IgG. To evaluate equine IgG as a treatment for kittens with failure of passive transfer of immunity (FPT). Methods: 13 specific pathogen-free queens and their 77 kittens. Methods: Kittens were randomized at birth into 9 treatment groups. One group contained colostrum-fed (nursing) kittens; the other groups contained colostrum-deprived kittens that were administered supplemental feline or equine IgG PO or SC during the first 12 hours after birth. Blood samples were collected at serial time points from birth to 56 days of age for determination of serum IgG concentrations. The capacity of equine IgG t...
Neutrophil function and plasma opsonic capacity in colostrum-fed and colostrum-deprived neonatal kittens. To determine whether passive transfer of IgG in neonatal kittens affects plasma opsonic capacity and neutrophil phagocytic and oxidative burst responses to bacteria in vitro. Methods: 22 kittens from 6 specific pathogen-free queens. Methods: Kittens were randomized at birth into the following treatment groups: colostrum-fed, colostrum-deprived, or colostrum-deprived supplemented with feline or equine IgG. Blood samples were collected at intervals from birth to 56 days of age. Plasma IgG concentrations were determined by radial immunodiffusion assay. Neutrophil function was assessed by a flow c...
[Reliability of the glutaraldehyde test to measure gamma-globulin levels in foals and the use of this test to check colostrum intake of foals]. The glutaraldehyde coagulation test is a semi-quantitative test used to determine the gammaglobulin concentration in serum. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability of the different modifications of this test by determining the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia in foals. The results of the glutaraldehyde coagulation test were compared with the serum gammaglobulin concentration as a reference value, determined by measuring total serum protein and the serum protein spectrum. It was concluded that the glut...
Survival of foals with experimentally induced Rhodococcus equi infection given either hyperimmune plasma containing R. equi antibody or normal equine plasma. The purpose of this study was to determine if colostrum-deprived foals with experimentally induced Rhodococcus equi pneumonia have a decreased severity of the disease and decreased mortality rate when given hyperimmune (HI) R. equi antibody plasma (R. equi titer at least 100 % and virulence-associated protein A [VapA] at least 10000) prophylactically versus when given normal equine plasma (R. equi titer less than 20 % and VapA less than 160). Sixteen colostrum-deprived foals (R. equi titer less than 5 %) each received normal equine plasma in the first 24 hours of life (R. equi titer less than ...
Major constituents, leptin, and non-protein nitrogen compounds in mares’ colostrum and milk. Five Haflinger mares were hand-milked at 0 h (pre-suckle) and 6 h (postsuckle), 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after parturition. Total solids, protein, fat, lactose, calculated gross energy content, leptin and non-protein nitrogen components (urea, alpha-amino nitrogen, creatinine and allantoin) were determined. The levels of the major constituents differed significantly in pre-suckle colostrum from subsequent samples. Leptin levels were the highest in whole (9 ng x mL(-1) of immunoreactive human equivalent HE +/- 0.48 ng x mL(-1), SEM) and skimmed (7.8 ng HE x mL(-1) +/- 0.52 ng x mL(-1), SEM) pre-...
Quantitative and qualitative assessment of milk production after pharmaceutical induction of lactation in the mare. The induction of lactation is performed in ruminants by steroidogenic impregnation, followed by drugs intended to increase prolactin secretion. The aim of this study was to induce lactation in barren mares and to evaluate milk production. Five treated and 5 control mares were used in June and September in year 1, and 12 mares were used in year 2. Mares were administered a vaginal pessary (500 mg altrenogest and 50 mg estradiol benzoate) for 1 week. The 2nd week, another sponge with 100 mg estradiol benzoate was administered, together with 50 mg/100 kg body weight (BW) sulpiride in oil (IM q12h...
Animal nutrition and acid-base balance. In domestic animals, acid-base balance may be influenced by nutrition. The major research effort in this area has been made on the prevention of hypocalcemic postparturient paresis in dairy cows. This disorder is caused by the sudden increase of calcium secretion into the colostrum. The manipulation of the dietary cation-anion difference makes it possible to maintain the cows in metabolic acidosis during the critical period that precedes calving, presumably via a mechanism that involves the strong ion difference in the extracellular fluid. As a consequence the mobilization of calcium is enhanc...
Passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin isotype antibodies against tetanus and influenza and their effect on the response of foals to vaccination. Influenza and tetanus-specific antibodies of the IgG sub-isotypes are posively transferred to foals via colostrum and inhibit their response to inactivated influenza vaccines and tetanus toxoid. High titres of influenza antibodies of IgGa and IgGb subisotypes and tetanus antibodies of the IgGa, IgGb and IgG(T) subisotypes were detected in postsucking serum samples collected from foals born to mares that had received booster doses of multicomponent vaccines during the last 2 months of gestation. Thereafter, titres declined in an exponential manner but were still detectable in all foals at age 2...
Opsonic capacity of foal serum for the two neonatal pathogens Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus equuli. Two of the most commonly isolated foal pathogens are Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus equuli. The hypothesis tested in this study was that young foals carry a lower opsonic capacity for these bacteria compared to adult horses. A flow-cytometric method for the phagocytosis of these by equine neutrophils was established. The opsonic capacity of serum from healthy foals from birth to age 6 weeks was evaluated and related to the concentrations of IgGa and IgGb. Phagocytosis of yeast was used as a control. Serum was required for phagocytosis, with higher concentrations for E. coli than for A. eq...
Elevated extrahepatic expression and secretion of mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) into colostrum. Mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) was secreted at highly elevated levels in bovine, equine and ovine colostrum and found at lower levels in milk 4 days postparturition. N-terminal sequencing of the mature M-SAA3 protein from all the three species revealed a conserved four amino acid motif (TFLK) within the first eight residues. This motif has not been reported to be present in any of the hepatically-produced acute phase SAA (A-SAA) isoforms. Cloning of the bovine M-Saa3 cDNA from mammary gland epithelial cells revealed an open reading frame that encoded a precursor protein of 131 a...
Assessment of colostral transfer and systemic availability of immunoglobulin G in new-born foals using a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. To measure the immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in colostrum, milk and serum samples, a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection system was developed. The system provided high reproducibility and sensitivity for routine diagnostic purposes. The period of fluctuating serum concentrations of IgG was monitored in new-born foals and their mares for a period of 6 weeks postnatum and postpartum, respectively. All foals received colostrum from their mares. The mean IgG concentration in the precolostral mare serum was approximately 19.0 mg/ml and decreased significantly to 13.8...
Specific immune response of mares and their newborn foals to Actinobacillus spp. present in the oral cavity. Oral swab samples, serum and colostrum was taken from 15 mares and 14 of their foals, within 24 h of birth. The presence of antibody against Actinobacillus spp. isolated from the oral cavity was investigated using agar gel immunodiffusion. Antibodies against 48 out of the 77 Actinobacillus isolates from all horses in the study were present in the respective sera of 13 mares and 9 foals. In 11 mother-foal pairs, the antibody content of the foal serum was similar to that of the mare, and in 9 cases this was reflected in the antibody content of colostrum from the mare. The results indicate that a...
Occurrence of an unusual phosphorylated N-acetyllactosamine in horse colostrum. The colostrum of horses (thoroughbreds) was extracted and fractionated to yield Gal(beta1-4)GlcNAcalpha1-phosphate, which has not previously been detected in any mammalian milk or colostrum, as well as Neu5Ac(alpha2-3)Gal(beta1-4)Glc. The structures of these saccharides were established by NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
Studies on the supply of immunoglobulin G to newborn camel calves (Camelus dromedarius). A major problem in camel productivity is the high mortality rate of camel calves in the first 3 months. The causes for mortality are mainly poor management practice and infectious diseases. The purpose of this research, carried out on a ranch in Kenya, was to determine the immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in camel colostrum as well as the extent of the calves' passive immunization by maternal antibodies. IgG concentration in colostrum and in the serum of the calf were measured during the first 3 d of life. Evaluation was carried out by comparing the respective values with those for horses ...
Interpretation of the detection of Sarcocystis neurona antibodies in the serum of young horses. Horses that are exposed to Sarcocystis neurona, a causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, produce antibodies that are detectable in serum by western blot (WB). A positive test is indicative of exposure to the organism. Positive tests in young horses can be complicated by the presence of maternal antibodies. Passive transfer of maternal antibodies to S. neurona from seropositive mares to their foals was evaluated. Foals were sampled at birth (presuckle), at 24h of age (postsuckle), and at monthly intervals. All foals sampled before suckling were seronegative. Thirty-three foals f...
Operation-management factors associated with early-postnatal mortality of US foals. Of 7320 equine foals reported born alive during 1997 on 1043 operations that had equids on 1 January 1997, and that participated in the United States National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Equine 1998 Study, 120 foals were reported to have died (by either euthanasia or natural causes) within the first 2 days of a live birth. The weighted estimate was 1.7% mortality (standard error=0.5) within the first 2 days of live birth for all foals born on operations in the 28 states included in the study.A multivariable logistic-regression model revealed that foals born in the southern region w...
Immunoglobulin isotypes in sera and nasal mucosal secretions and their neonatal transfer and distribution in horses. To determine concentrations of IgA and IgG subclasses in serum, colostrum, milk, and nasal wash samples of adult horses and foals. Methods: Seven 2-year-old Welsh ponies, 27 adult mixed-breed horses, and 5 Quarter Horse mares and their foals. Methods: Serum was obtained from ponies and adult horses. Colostrum and milk were obtained from mares and serum and nasal wash samples from their foals immediately after parturition and on days 1, 7, 14, 28, 42, and 63. Nasal wash samples were also obtained from 23 adult horses. Concentrations of immunoglobulins were determined by use of inhibition ELISA....
Effect of parturition on levels of vitamins A and E and of beta-carotene in plasma and milk of mares. The objective of this study was to investigate in mares the effect of parturition on plasma and milk levels of retinol, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol over 12 weeks around parturition. In blood plasma of horses around parturition an increase of all these components was observed. This increase was most impressive in beta-carotene (P<0.05) and less pronounced for vitamin E, vitamin A and cholesterol. The magnitude of increase around parturition corresponded well with the magnitude of accumulation in colostrum; levels of beta-carotene in colostrum were 65 times higher compared...
The effect of nonspecific immunostimulation of pregnant mares with 1,3/1,6 glucan and levamisole on the immunoglobulins levels in colostrum, selected indices of nonspecific cellular and humoral immunity in foals in neonatal and postnatal period. The objectives of the studies were to evaluate the effect of levamisole and 1,3/1,6 glucan applied in pregnant mares on parameters of non-specific cellular and humoral immunity of foals. Eighteen mares in three experimental groups (six animals in each) and their progeny were examined. Multiparous mares, crossbreed of Polish, full-blood and Hannover lines (400-500 kg), 4-9 years old, originated from four different farms. They were kept under identical zoohygienic and nutritional conditions. The animals were randomly chosen in experimental groups. None of mares had been previously vaccinated. In...
Concentrations of macro- and micro-elements in the milk of pasture-fed thoroughbred mares. To determine the changes in Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, S, Cu, Fe and Zn concentrations of milk during the lactation in pasture-fed Thoroughbred mares and then calculate the dietary mineral requirements of the sucking foal and the lactating mare. Methods: Milk was sampled on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and at various times between 55 to 65, 85 to 95 and 135 to 150 days after parturition from 21 pasture-fed mares. The concentrations of macro- and micro-elements in the milk were determined by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. Results: Concentrations (mg/L) of these elements were highest in co...
Triiodothyronine (T3), insulin and characteristics of 5′-monodeiodinase (5′-MD) in mare’s milk from parturition to 21 days post-partum. It is generally accepted that hormones and tissue growth factors are supplied from mother to neonate via mammary secretion. Among the protein hormones, insulin and prolactin are considered as the most important milk components for neonates. The significance of the thyroid hormones, namely triiodothyronine (T3) generated locally by 5'-monodeiodinase (5'-MD) in the mammary tissues, for the mammary gland itself and for suckling neonates is still under consideration. In the present study the activity of the 5'-MD and the concentrations of T3 and insulin in mare's colostrum and milk during the firs...
Randomized controlled trial of effects of Escherichia coli antiserum on serum immunoglobulin G concentrations and morbidity and mortality rates in foals. To determine whether administration of commercially available Escherichia coli antiserum to neonatal foals would affect serum IgG concentration or morbidity and mortality rates during the first 60 days of life. Methods: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: 271 neonatal foals on 4 well-managed farms. Methods: Foals were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. All foals were allowed to suckle colostrum normally. In addition, treatment-group foals were given E coli antiserum (10 micromilligrams) orally between 0 and 8 hours after birth. Serum samples were obtained between 18 and 36 ho...
Prevention of rotavirus diarrhoea in foals by parenteral vaccination of the mares: field trial. Many countries have reported rotavirus diarrhoea in foals. In Argentina it causes important economic losses to the horse industry. In this work we present the results obtained using an experimental vaccine in a farm with enzootic infection of rotavirus. A hundred mares were vaccinated 60 and 30 days before foaling with inactivated rotavirus SA11 (G3P2), H2 (G3P12), Lincoln (G6P1), with aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant; 65 mares were included in the unvaccinated, control group. To evaluate the vaccine, morbidity, duration of the diarrhoea and rotavirus shedding were recorded. Antibody levels were...
Prevention of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia of foals using two different inactivated vaccines. Two different, inactivated, aluminium salt adsorbed vaccines, one containing a R. equi strain (serotype 1, 10(9) CFU/ml and equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) (1.5 x 10(7) PFU/ml) and another containing R. equi only were used on three studfarms to determine whether the disease can be prevented by vaccination of both pregnant mares and their foals. Pregnant mares received two 3 ml doses of vaccine intramuscularly 6 and 2 weeks before parturition and their foals were vaccinated on two or three occasions at 3, 5 or 7 weeks of age. The efficacy of the vaccines was evaluated on the basis of the clinical ...
Effect of the South African asinine-94 strain of equine arteritis virus (EAV) in pregnant donkey mares and duration of maternal immunity in foals. Clinical, virological and serological responses were investigated in five pregnant donkey mares after experimental exposure to the South African asinine-94 strain of equine arteritis virus (EAV), and the duration of maternal immunity to EAV was studied in their foals. In four intranasally inoculated mares, fever with maximum rectal temperatures of 39.1-40.7 degrees C was recorded 2-11 d after challenge. All the inoculated mares developed mild depression, and a serous ocular and nasal discharge; in three mares mild conjuctivitis was observed. The virus was recovered from the nasopharynx and fro...