Comparison of superoxide production, protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase activities in neutrophils from neonatal calves and cows

Superoxide (O-2(-)) production and intracellular signal transduction of neutrophils were evaluated in five Holstein dairy calves and five lactating cows. Opsonised zymosan (OPZ)-induced O-2(-) production by neutrophils from neonatal calves was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of neutrophils of cows, whereas heat-aggregated IgG (H-agg.IgG)- and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)induced O-2 production of neutrophils were significantly lower (P less than or equal to 0.01) than those of cows. To clarify the functional differences of intracellular signal transduction in neutrophils between neonatal calves and cows, the activities of protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine phosphorylation were evaluated in OPZ-, H-agg.IgG- and PMA-stimulated neutrophils. Membrane-associated PKC activity of OPZ-stimulated neutrophils from neonatal calves was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of cows, whereas PKC activity in membrane-associated fractions of H-agg.IgG-stimulated neutrophils from neonatal calves was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of cows. A significant difference was not found in membrane-associated PKC activity of neutrophils stimulated with PMA between neonatal calves and cows. The amount of tyrosine phosphorylated 100 kDa protein in neutrophils from neonatal calves stimulated with OPZ, H-agg.IgG and PMA were 192.6, 67.8 and 97.2 per cent of those of cows, respectively. These results indicate that complement receptor type 3 (CR3)- and Fc receptor (FcR)-mediated O-2 producing activities of neutrophils are clearly different between neonatal calves and cows. This phenomenon may be associated with the age-related changes in intracellular signal transduction of neutrophils including PKC activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular protein.