Activity Of Colostrum Research Articles

Characteristic of antiadhesive properties of the saliva of newborns and breast milk of their mothers

The estimation of the effect of saliva and breast milk on the adhesion of fungus C. albicans to literal epithelium surface is given. The reduction of adhesive activity of the saliva in newborns, patients with acute respiratory disease and breast wilk in sick mothers is noted. The antiadhesive activity of colostrum is higher than of mature breats wilk.

Biotinidase in human breast milk

Biotinidase activity in 19 samples of human breast milk was investigated with the sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorometric method that we developed. All samples exhibited biotinidase activity. For mature milk the mean activity of 17 samples was 0.208 nmol.min-1.mL-1 milk (range, 0.087-0.516 nmol.min-1.mL-1) and mean specific activity was 7.51 pmol.min-1.mg-1 protein (range, 2.17-17.2 pmol.min-1.mg-1). These values are relatively low compared with the activity in human serum (5.26 +/- 2.92 nmol.min-1.mL-1 serum and 95.6 +/- 53.1 pmol.min-1.mg-1 protein; n = 246). Biotinidase activities of milk obtained at various times after birth were not significantly different. However, biotinidase activity in colostrum was about five times higher than that of mature milk. The existence of biotinidase activity in all specimens suggests that this enzyme plays an important nutritional role during infancy.

Comparative analysis of enzyme activity in human colostrum, milk, and serum

Changes of enzyme activity in the colostrum, milk, and serum samples of 14 mothers were followed. For the enzyme assay, the colostrum and the milk samples were diluted, 1:10 and 1:5, respectively. The activity of the following enzymes were measured: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT); aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT); alanine aminotransferase (ALAT); cholinesterase; alkaline, and acid phosphatase. Milk, LDH, ASAT, and ALAT activities did not change during the first four days of lactation, yet were significantly higher than the corresponding activities of serum. The activity of GGT and alkaline and acid phosphatase in milk showed a marked decrease by day 4 postpartum; however, the GGT stayed much higher than that of serum, while the activity of the other two enzymes decreased to the level of the serum. By contrast, as compared to the colostrum, the cholinesterase activity in the breast milk showed a significant increase.

α‐Amylase in Preterm Human Milk

SummaryWe have measured α‐amylase activity in the milk of 18 women who delivered at 25–40 weeks of pregnancy: 25–30 weeks (n = 7), 31–35 weeks (n = 5), and 36–40 weeks (n = 6). In each subject, α‐amylase activity in milk was measured 3 days postpartum (colostrum) and at 1. 3, and 6 weeks of lactation. In each of these three groups, α‐amylase activity was high in colostrum (mean values of 8,973 ± 697, 4.422 ± 1.000, and 3,550 ± 889 U/L. respectively) and decreased gradually during the following 6 weeks of lactation (mean values of 2.007 ± 413. 1,462 ± 465, and 1,373 ± 400 U/L, respectively. after 6 weeks). The decrease in total α‐amylase activity during this time period was not accounted for by a similar decrease in total milk protein since the specific α‐amylase activity in colostrum (142.3 ± 15.9 U/g protein) was substantially greater than that measured in milk obtained 6 weeks postpartum (103.4 ± 12.6 U/g protein). The α‐amylase in pooled preterm human milk was relatively stable (22°r loss of activity) when preincubated at a pH of 3.0 for 2 h at 37°C. The activity of the enzyme in preterm human milk had a broad pH optimum in the range of 5.0–7.0. Thus, the enzyme can pass through the stomach of the infant after a milk meal without substantial inactivation because of acidity (pH 3.5–6.5). and has maximum catalytic activity at a pH in the range of that found in the duodenum (pH 6.0–7.0).

Trypsin-inhibitors in mastitic milk and colostrum: correlation between trypsin-inhibitor capacity, bovine serum albumin and somatic cell contents.

The trypsin-inhibitor capacity of bovine milk was seen to increase in mastitis. This capacity showed good correlation with the California Mastitis Test score, somatic cell count (Counter method) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) content (radial immunodiffusion). The elevated antitrypsin level proved to be a safer indicator of mastitis than BSA alone. Using gel-filtration chromatography, the major trypsin-inhibitor activity of mastitic milk and plasma was eluted with BSA, indicating a similar mol. wt (70 000). This fraction showed electrophoretic polymorphism. A large molecular weight fraction cross-reacted immunologically with human alpha 2-macroglobulin. The antitrypsin activity in mastitic milk was clearly different from the principal activity in colostrum, which had a mol. wt of about 13 000.

Evaluation of Escherichia coli vaccines against experimental enteric colibacillosis

Pregnant gilts were vaccinated with either one of two commercial Escherichia coli vaccines, both deficient in K88 antigens, or with an experimental E coli vaccine rich in K88 antigens. Nursing piglets of vaccinated and control non-vaccinated gilts were challenged orogastrically with K88-positive strains of E coli. Vaccination of dams with any of the three vaccines conferred a statistically highly significant degree of protection to their piglets. Vaccination was effective not only in reducing mortality but also in reducing diarrhoea and excretion of the challenge strain. There was also a highly significant difference in protection between the three vaccines in favour of the K88-rich experimental vaccine but the difference between the two commercial vaccines was negligible. Revaccination of five sows with the K88-rich vaccine 14 days before second farrowing resulted in prevention of death (68 per cent in five control litters) and in a highly significant reduction of both diarrhoea and excretion of the challenge strain. Serum and colostral whey agglutinin titres to the O and K88 antigens of the challenge strain did not correlate well with mortality rates in the piglets. Similarly no close correlation was observed between protection and the in vitro bactericidal activity of colostrum on the challenge strain. However, in general the highest K88 and bactericidal titres were observed in colostrum capable of transferring a high degree of resistance.

Anti-parental lymphocyte reactions in neonatal F1 hybrid rats.

The subpopulation of parental-strain lymphocytes responsible for the recognition of a particular F1 hybrid strain as foreign has been shown to be subject to specific, reversible inactivation after its injection into neonatal rats of that F1 hybrid strain. Neonates born to mothers that were syngeneic with the parental-strain lymphocytes under test acquired the capacity to inactivate these lymphocytes at an earlier age than did the genotypically identical reciprocal F1 hybrids. Neonates had little capacity to inactivate completely allogeneic lymphocytes. It is inferred from the difference in behavior between reciprocal F1 hybrids that the augmented ability to inactivate anti-F1 hybrid maternal-strain lymphocytes follows exposure to such cells in utero and to antibodies with anti-F1 hybrid activity in colostrum. Specific inactivation of those marauding maternal lymphocytes with anti-fetal activity is envisaged as an important means of protection of the fetus from immunological attack by the mother. On the basis of the results presented in this and the preceding paper, it has been proposed that many of the sequelae of the transfer of immunocompetent parental-strain cells to F1 hybrid animals result not from graft anti-host activity but from an F1 hybrid anti-parental lymphocyte response that has eluded normal regulatory mechanisms. These experiments also raise the possibility that regulation of auto-immune responses may be achieved by the inactivation of lymphocytes with anti-self reactivity by other lymphocytes that respond to the recognition structure required for such reactivity.

Antibacterial activity in colostrum and milk associated with protection of piglets against enteric disease caused by K88-positive Escherichia coli.

Piglets suckled by dams that had been vaccinated with K88 antigen were significantly more resistant to deaths caused by neonatal diarrhea after challenge with a large dose of a K88-positive enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli than piglets suckled by control dams. The factors most likely to be involved in protection of the piglets were investigated by comparing the antibacterial activities of serum and mammary secretions from the two groups of dams. Vaccination stimulated the production of K88 antibodies, which were associated with anti-adhesive activity directed against the adhesive properties of the K88 antigen, and of O8 antibodies; the latter antibodies were attributed to traces of O8 antigen in the vaccine. Neutralizing activity against heat-labile enterotoxin was present in several dams before vaccination but was not stimulated by bacteriostatic activities were similar in serum and mammary secretions from both groups of dams and appeared to play no significant role in the protective after parturition were atrributed to exposure of the dams to the challenge strain excreted by the piglets. It was concluded that neutralization of the adhesive properties of K88 antigen by K88 antibodies in colostrum and in milk contributed significantly to the protection of piglets from vaccinated dams. However, the contribution of antibacterial activities associated with the greater levels of O8 antibodies in colstrum from the vaccinated group cannot be entirely excluded.

Inactivation of neurohypophyseal hormones colostrum and serum of human and other mammals

Human colostrum, collected from the day prior to delivery to 3 days postpartum, inactivated oxytocin more slowly than arginine-vasopressin or lysinevasopressin. The presence of enzymes with the ability to attack chemical substrates by mechanisms proposed for the degradation of oxytocin was studied in these colostrum samples and in human serum. Placental cystine aminopeptidas (oxytocinase) activity was usually elevated only in peripheral serum, while levels of non-specific aminopeptidases, as measured using ▪-leucyl-β-naphthylamide as substrate, were high in human colostrum as well as serum. An enzyme possessing glutathione-protein disulfide oxidoreductase activity with cystine as a substrate is suggested to be present in the colostrum but not in postpartum serum. Colostrum and plasma of rhesus monkey also inactivated neurohypophyseal hormones as did the colostrum of cat. Although both human serum and colostrum were rich in heat-stable alkaline phosphatease activity, reflecting increased capillary permeability at term, the low levels of cystine aminopeptidase activity in colostrum suggest that the degradation of neurohypophyseal hormones by colostrum occurs predominantly or solely by enzymes present in the mammary gland, which are different from placental cystine aminopeptidase. Werle (1960) reported that “colostrum of woman and cow has very low activity in splitting oxytocin.” More recently, Walter (1973) showed oxytocin inactivation by human colostrum to be greatest during the first 24 hours postpartum and to diminish quickly in subsequent days. Since the C-terminal octapeptide of oxytocin was identified as the major degradation product and since [1,6-aminosuberic acid]oxytocin — an analog not susceptible to exopeptidase and disulfide oxidoreductases — was not inactivated, it was concluded that cleavage of the Cys-Tyr peptide bond is the initial step in the degradation of the hormone by human colostrum. This route of enzymatic oxytocin inactivation was first suggested to occur in serum of pregnant women (Tuppy and Nesvadba, 1957; Sjöholm and Yman, 1967) and has since been postulated for other tissues ( e.g. , Tuppy, 1968; Celis et al. , 1971 ; Kleiner and Brouet-Yager, 1973). The possibility of prior reductive cleavage of the disulfide bond of the hormone by enzymes present in human colostrum was not ruled out. In this work, enzymes in human colostrum capable of degrading oxytocin were further characterized and compared to enzymes of placental origin. The degradation of arginine- and lysine-vasopressin by human colostrum was also investigated. The capability of colostrum and plasma of rhesus monkey, and colostrum of cow, goat and cat to degrade oxytocin was tested.

Experimental Neonatal Diarrhoea Caused By An Enteropathogenic Strain Of Escherichia Coli In Piglets: A Study Of The Disease And The Effect Of Vaccinating The Dam

Summary Experimental neonatal diarrhoea (E.N.D.) was produced in litters of piglets derived from gilts after oral administration at birth of a washed live suspension of an enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli belonging to the O149:K91(B), K88ac(L) group. Different litters varied in their susceptibility to the strain; the mortality attributable to E.N.D. was 38 per cent. (20 of 53 piglets) but two of six litters were almost completely resistant to the enteropathogenic strain. This resistance did not appear to be related to a high level of bacterial agglutinins, somatic (O) antibodies or bactericidal activity in the colostrum. A formalin-killed vaccine derived from two isolates of the O149:K91(B), K88ac(L) group was administered in two doses without an adjuvant to six gilts during the last 4wk of pregnancy. The mortality attributable to E.N.D. in piglets from vaccinated dams was 20 per cent (11 of 54 piglets) following administration of the challenge dose. Although there was a reduction in the mortality of piglets from vaccinated compared with non-vaccinated dams, the reduction was not significant when the variation between Utters was taken into account. However, the bacteriological observations suggest that an antibacterial factor impaired the ability of the enteropathogenic strain to become established in the intestinal tract of piglets from vaccinated dams. This factor did not appear to be related to a high level of bacterial agglutinins, somatic (O) antibodies or bactericidal activity in colostrum and has yet to be identified in vitro.

Studies on the immunity of the calf to colibacillosis. 3. The local protective activity of colostrum within the gastro-intestinal tract.

Studies on the immunity of the calf to colibacillosis. 3. The local protective activity of colostrum within the gastro-intestinal tract.

Deficiency of xanthine oxidase activity in colostrum of a xanthinuric female

Deficiency of xanthine oxidase activity in colostrum of a xanthinuric female