Fowl Serum Research Articles

THE EXPRESSION OF HETEROPHILE ANTIGENICITY BY SALMONELLAE.

SummaryS. enteritidis and S. pullorum‐gallinarum were grown in mouse or fowl liver homogenate in 30 per cent serum broth for 10 successive subcultures. Fowls were immunised with suspensions of these organisms after one subculture in a defined casamino acid medium. Increased titres of haemagglutinating antibodies against mouse and rabbit red cells were detected in the fowl antisera. Cultures of both organisms grown in 30 per cent horse, pig, shark, kangaroo, rabbit or human serum broth all strongly absorbed the fowl serum haemagglutinins. The original strain of S. enteritidis could absorb the fowl serum haemagglutinins after one subculture in 30 per cent horse serum broth. This absorptive ability decreased sharply after one subculture in the synthetic medium.

Effects of fowl sera on some stages in the life cycle of Eimeria tenella

Serum derived from birds resistant to Eimeria tenella lysed sporozoites and merozoites after incubation for 1 hour at 37 °C; after inactivation the serum no longer lysed these stages but greatly reduced their infectivity. The addition of fresh normal fowl serum to the heated immune serum restored its lytic activity. Guinea-pig complement alone at a dilution of 1:60 lysed merozoites. The infectivity of a sporocyst suspension was unaffected by treatment with serum from resistant birds. Sera from immune birds which contained precipitating antibodies lysed merozoites in the presence of C′ although precipitins could not always be shown in lytic sera. Sera from normal birds contained neither precipitins nor lysins and did not affect the infectivity of merozoites adversely; sporozoites, although not visibly affected by incubation in normal serum, were found to be reduced in infectivity.

Cadmium as a carcinogen.

IT has been shown previously that cobalt metal powder suspended in fowl serum and injected intramuscularly into rats is a potent and rapid carcinogen. This metal produces mainly rhabdomyosarcomata1–3. Zinc and tungsten metal powders injected in the same way produce no tumours.

Titration of trachoma virus with observations on yolk-sac infection and sensitivity to oxytetracycline, using the single-dilution method.

SUMMARY: The T'ang strain of trachoma virus was titrated in chick embryo yolk sac by a single-dilution method (Golub, 1948), using 3-6 eggs/dilution. The limitations incurred by the use of small numbers of eggs are discussed. The method was used to make observations on the fate of virus after inoculation into the yolk sac, and to study the sensitivity of virus to oxytetracycline. The method was found to be unsuitable for titration of neutralizing antibodies in fowl serum.

Chemical and Electrophoretic Analysis of Young Chickens’ Serum Following Sex Hormones Administration: 1. Proteins and Protein Distribution

IT HAS been reported by Mandel, Clavert and Mandel (1947) that total serum proteins and the albumin-globulin ratio increased in estrogen-treated pigeons. A similar rise in the serum proteins of estrogen-treated hens, but not in their albumin/globulin ratio was found by Sturkie (1951 Sturkie (1954).Brandt, Clegg and Andrews (1951) demonstrated in their electrophoretic studies that total proteins as well as alpha and gamma globulin increased with age in normal chicken sera. These authors found a fast-moving (pre-albumin) fraction in the sera of laying hens. A likewise fast-moving component in the sera of stilbestrol treated cockerels was also demonstrated by Clegg et al. (1951).Vanstone, Maw and Common (1955) studied the levels and partition of fowl serum proteins in relation to age, egg production and estrogen treatment. To the authors’ knowledge, and as stated by Sturkie (1954), no experiments on the effect of the male hormone on the serum proteins in …

A chemical relationship between the protein fractions obtained from fowl serum by cellulose ion-exchange chromatography. Evidence for an amino acid “anlage”

1. 1. The proteins of chicken serum were separated by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Solka floc cellulose by stepwise increments of chloride-ion concentration. 2. 2. The protein fractions so isolated were characterized by paper electrophoresis, and 11 fractions were further characterized by nitrogen determination and analyzed for 15 amino acids. 3. 3. Certain electrophoretically homogeneous proteins ( β 1-globulins) showed marked differences in amino acid composition. 4. 4. In spite of the fact that the absolute quantities of individual amino acids varied by as much as 200–400%, the molar ratios of six pairs of amino acids, in all 11 protein fractions, were significantly constant at the 1% level and 26 pairs were constant at the 5% level of significance. If these correlations were due to chance, then one would expect no more than one pair at the 1% level and 5–6 pairs at the 5% level of significance. 5. 5. One interpretation of these results is that these constant molar ratios indicate peptide chains of constant composition (amino acid “anlagen”) in all the serum proteins.

The Selective Transport of Antibodies from the Yolk Sac to the Circulation of the Chick

ABSTRACT The yolk titre of eggs laid by hens actively immune to Salmonella pullorum is directly related to the serum titre, the concentration quotient being approximately 1/8. Fowl sera immune to S. pullorum or Brucella abortus when injected into the yolk-sac early in incubation give rise to circulating titres in the chick at hatching. A technique of injection into the yolk-sac after hatching is described. Immune fowl serum so injected gives rise to circulating titres. Immune rabbit, cow, and horse sera so injected do not give rise to circulating titres. Immune pigeon serum gives rise to titres at lower concentration quotient than fowl. It is concluded that the yolk-sac splanchnopleur is selective. Fowl antibody fed by mouth after hatching does not give rise to circulating titres.

LEVELS AND PARTITION OF THE FOWL'S SERUM PROTEINS IN RELATION TO AGE AND EGG PRODUCTION

The level of total serum protein in the fowl has been followed from the 14th day of incubation to the 13th week of egg production. Serum proteins have been fractionated concurrently by zone electrophoresis in filter paper. Serum protein level in the 14-day embryo was 0.9 gm./100 ml. and the protein comprised a prealbumin fraction, albumin, α2- and β-globnlins. Sera from chicks aged seven days no longer contained a prealbumin fraction but α1-,α3- and γ-globulin fractions had appeared by this stage and the protein level had reached 2.3 gm./100 ml. Total serum protein in females increased to a maximum of about 5.4 gm./100 ml. in the week before laying of the first egg. By that time two new protein fractions had appeared. These new fractions accounted for the greater part of the increase over the levels (4.0 gm./100 ml.) prevailing in the prepuberal stage. Serum protein level declined during the first three weeks of laying to average levels below 4.0 gm./100 ml.; and this decline appeared to affect albumin and α1-globulin as well as the new fractions. As laying progressed, the total serum protein tended to regain a level around 4.0 gm./100 ml. The electrophoretic pattern also tended to return towards that prevailing in the week before laying. Some tentative correlations of the results of zone electrophoresis with published results for free electrophoresis of fowl serum proteins are presented.

LEVELS AND PARTITION OF THE FOWL'S SERUM PROTEINS IN RELATION TO AGE AND EGG PRODUCTION

The level of total serum protein in the fowl has been followed from the 14th day of incubation to the 13th week of egg production. Serum proteins have been fractionated concurrently by zone electrophoresis in filter paper. Serum protein level in the 14-day embryo was 0.9 gm./100 ml. and the protein comprised a prealbumin fraction, albumin, α2- and β-globnlins. Sera from chicks aged seven days no longer contained a prealbumin fraction but α1-,α3- and γ-globulin fractions had appeared by this stage and the protein level had reached 2.3 gm./100 ml. Total serum protein in females increased to a maximum of about 5.4 gm./100 ml. in the week before laying of the first egg. By that time two new protein fractions had appeared. These new fractions accounted for the greater part of the increase over the levels (4.0 gm./100 ml.) prevailing in the prepuberal stage. Serum protein level declined during the first three weeks of laying to average levels below 4.0 gm./100 ml.; and this decline appeared to affect albumin and α1-globulin as well as the new fractions. As laying progressed, the total serum protein tended to regain a level around 4.0 gm./100 ml. The electrophoretic pattern also tended to return towards that prevailing in the week before laying. Some tentative correlations of the results of zone electrophoresis with published results for free electrophoresis of fowl serum proteins are presented.

Ultracentrifuge lipoprotein pattern of serum of normal, hypertensive and hypothyroid animals.

Ultracentrifuge lipoprotein pattern of serum of normal, hypertensive and hypothyroid animals.

THE INFLUENCE OF GONADAL HORMONES ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE BLOOD AND LIVER OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL

It was suggested in a previous paper [Common, Rutledge & Bolton, 1947] that the increase in the fowl's serum riboflavin evoked by oestrogen cannot easily be explained as an outcome of mobilization and withdrawal of riboflavin from liver reserves. The relevant observations have been repeated and extended to include observations on the total dry matter, protein and fat contents of the livers of the experimental birds. The influence of thyroxine treatments on the effects of gonadal hormones was also investigated. The results of these two experiments form the subject of the present paper. The general technique has been described in our previous paper. The experimental birds were sexually immature White Wyandotte pullets of the same strain as those in all the previous experiments, except Exp. 6 [Common, Rutledge & Hale, 1948]. All the pullets in any experiment were given the same amount of food daily. In all cases the gonadal

THE CULTIVATION OF TISSUES FOR PROLONGED PERIODS IN SINGLE FLASKS

1. Fragments of breast muscle from a 12 day old chick embryo have been kept alive in single flasks for an entire year without being transferred. The nutrient materials were supplied by frequent applications of adult fowl serum diluted with Tyrode solution. 2. When fragments of fixed tissues are cultivated in serum, cell multiplication and cell death are both reduced to an extremely low level. 3. The presence of a plasma coagulum is not essential to the continued survival and further development of tissues cultivated inserum. 4. The fibrinogen, prothrombin, and fibrin of coagulated plasma are not essential to the development of connective tissue fibers in vitro.

The Use of Modified Antigens for the Prevention of Cloudy Reactions in Testing Avian Blood Sera for Pullroum Disease

In a previous paper1 we reported on the use of antigens modified by the addition of .04% NaOH, .1% Formalin, 5% and 1.8% NACl compared to an unmodified antigen of a density of one on the McFarland scale.In all cases a 1–40 or a 1–50 dilution of fowl serum in antigen was used to determine the presence or absence of clouding. Incubation was conducted at the usual temperature and readings made at 48 hours.At first the type of clouding was not recorded. It was soon found, however, that the types of clouding could be differentiated and that the presence of one interfered to a much greater degree in the reading of the test than the other. The type of clouding in which no large flakes could be observed and in which the precipitate was scattered uniformly throughout the suspension we designated as diffuse clouding in distinction .

Comparison of Modified Antigens for the Avoidance of Cloudy Reactions in Agglutination Tests on Fowl Blood Serum

Various studies have been published suggesting modifications of technique for the avoidance of the cloudy reaction in conducting agglutination tests for carriers of Bacillary White Diarrhea. It therefore seemed desirable to undertake comparative tests of the modified antigens suggested to determine which would most regularly give clear cut positive or negative agglutination reactions without the interference of nonspecific precipitations. This paper gives the results of these studies.According to Hektoen1 some of the earliest reported observations regarding non-specific precipitations when fowl serum is used in sereologic tests were made by Sutherland and Mitra in 1914. These men were using fowl serum in the precipitin reaction and arrived at the opinion that avoiding freezing of the serum would serve as a means of preventing such non-specific precipitations.Hektoen (1918) doing similar work found the freezing of fowl serum was not wholly responsible for the non-specific precipitation, but he also suggests avoidance .

The Chemical Nature of the Constituent in Fowl Serum Responsible for Non-Specific Precipitations

Abstract In a previous communication (1), observations were reported on the effect of employing antigens of greater density than those commonly used in the agglutination test for determining infection in fowls. It was found that antigens containing larger quantities of bacterial bodies were more stable as regards the element in fowl sera, which induces non-specific precipitations. Further, it was suggested that the constituent responsible for such precipitation, commonly spoken of as the cloudy reaction, was lipoidal in constitution. This paper reports further studies on the physio-chemical properties of this factor. Fatty and proteid materials have been variously charged with causing this interference in the agglutination reaction. A review of the literature of the chemical constituents of fowl sera discloses that Warner and Edmond (2) found that there is a higher percentage of fat in the whole blood of pullets and hens in heavy lay than in females not in lay and in male birds.

Congenital Eye Anomalies in Albino Mice

IN papers published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology (vol. xxvi., 1918, p. 65, and xxxi., 1920, p. 171) Guyer and Smith have given an account of the transmission, through successive generations, of eye defects which occurred in the offspring of rabbits and mice treated, while pregnant, with lens-sensitised fowl serum. The greater part of the papers concerns experiments carried out with albino rabbits, and in their case alone was the question of heredity considered, but the nature of the defects in both cases appears to have been the same.

Absence of Prenatal Effects of Lens-Antibodies in Rabbits

ABSTRACT The experiments of Guyer and Smith have attracted wide-spread attention. Their results are recorded in two papers (1918 and 1920). The first paper describes the injection of rabbit lens into fowls and the subsequent injection of the sensitised fowl serum so produced into pregnant does. Some of the young of the treated does exhibited certain abnormalities of the eye. No breeding experiments are recorded in this paper. In the second paper a similar series of experiments is described, as a result of which more abnormalities were produced. Breeding experiments with the abnormal young showed that the defects were inherited. In view of the interest which these experiments have aroused, it seemed desirable to repeat them, and this paper records an attempt to do so. The methods used by us were modelled on those employed by Guyer and Smith ; the particulars in which our methods differed from those of these two authors will be indicated in the description of our experiments and attention again drawn to them, so far as the matter seems relevant, in the comparison of our results with those of Guyer and Smith in the discussion which will follow.