SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN PROFILES OF DAIRY-COWS CHRONICALLY TREATED WITH RECOMBINANT BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous somatotropin on blood profiles of the major bovine Ig isotypes. Holsteins were treated with either 0, 10.3, or 20.6 mg recombinant bST/d. Subcutaneous injections were started between wk 4 and 5 of lactation and continued for 266 d. Blood samples were collected by coccygeal venipuncture throughout lactation for serum IgG, G1, G2, A, and M concentration determination. Cows treated with 10.3 mg of bST/d exhibited modest increases in mean blood concentrations of IgG (12.4%) and IgG2 (18.4%) relative to the other groups of cows. In addition, treated cows had 10.1% higher average concentration of IgA than controls. Somatotropin did not influence average lactational concentrations of IgG1 or IgM, although the group receiving 10.3 mg/d had higher late lactation concentrations of IgG1 than did the other two groups. However, treatment mean isotype concentrations were always within normal ranges, except for IgG2 from the 10.3 mg/d group, which were higher. The practical significance of elevated serum Ig concentrations observed in the present study is not known. However, the present data do show that bST administered at doses that increased milk yield had no apparent detrimental effect on humoral immunity as measured by blood concentrations of Ig.