The effect of different quantities and compositions of pelleted diets on immune response of mares during the production of anti-tetanus sera.

Research was carried out into the effect that different quantities and compositions of concentrated portions of meal had on certain haematological properties and on the immune response of mares in the course of hyper-immune antitetanus sera production. The experiment involved 24 Nonius and Lipizzaner cross-bred mares divided into two groups of 12 animals each, a control group and a trial group. The experiment lasted 12 months, with haematological and immunological tests being carried out every 30 days. During the course of the experiment each mare was subjected to 11 immunisation cycles, and in that period no mare fell ill. Leukocyte and haematocrit counts revealed no differences between the control and the test groups throughout the entire duration of the experiment. Following the second immunisation cycle the leukocyte count increased in both groups of mares, remaining significantly higher than the normal physiological value in horses throughout the experiment. The concentrated portion of meal, differing both in quality and quantity, had no influence on leucocyte count and haematocrit level in the mares throughout the experiment. However, the immunodiffusion titre in the test group did show a slightly higher value of ID-titre than in the control group, indicating that the quantitatively and qualitatively differing portions of meal had a more positive effect on immune response and anti-tetanus anti-body titre in the test group than it did in the control group.

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase and serum gamma-glutamil transferase activities in horses used for production of hyper immune sera.

The activities of leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (l-AP) and serum gamma-glutamil transferase (gamma-GT), and total leukocyte counts were determined in horses submitted to the production of hyper immune sera against tetanus (Clostridium tetani). The purpose of this work was to investigate the prospective changes of mentioned parameters in horses under the described circumstances. In addition, the suitability of these parameters in assessing the health condition of the same horses had to be evaluated. The average total leukocyte count increased in one month from the values considered as physiological (8.8 x 10(9)/L, Schalm et al. 1975) to the value of 12 x 10(9)/L and remained at this level up to the end of the trial. The I-AP activities fell after 30 days of the trial for 100 units, and showed permanent slight decreasing tendency thereafter. On the contrary, the serum gamma-GT activity was increasing gradually throughout the whole trial. The results indicate the possibility of reflecting the dynamics of intensified leukocyte metabolism in the course of its function within the chronic inflammation, and development of accompanying pathological changes in the liver. In addition, the initialisation period of pathological changes in the organism of horses in experiment could be between the fourth and sixth month following exposure to antigen.