Lymphocyte populations and adhesion molecule expression in bovine tonsils

Bovine tonsils are mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) located at the entry of the pharynx where both inhaled and ingested antigens can induce an immune response. This study was conducted to determine the lymphocyte populations and adhesion molecule expression in the palatine tonsil (PT) and pharyngeal tonsil (PhT) of adult cattle and compare them with typical MALT (discrete Peyer's patches, PP) and a peripheral lymph node (parotid lymph node, PLN). The distribution of various lymphocyte subsets was determined in situ by immunofluorescence, and their proportions were determined by multicolor flow cytometry. The tonsils were similar to PP in the proportions of B- and T-cells (25-32% T-cells, 39-45% B-cells), and T cell subpopulations (CD4, CD8, and gammadelta). The PP contained the highest proportion of memory T-helper cells with beta7 integrin (30.3%+/-5.4), the tonsils intermediate (PT: 19.8%+/-4.4 and PhT: 19.7%+/-4.9), and the PLN had the lowest proportion (15.4%+/-3.1). The opposite relationship was observed with CD62L on na?ve T- helper cells as PP had the lowest proportion (14.2%+/-6.4), the tonsils intermediate (PT: 17.4%+/-2.5 and PhT: 24.3%+/-7.3), and the PLN the highest proportion (45.3%+/-6.5). MAdCAM-1 was highly expressed in the high endothelial venules (HEV) of PP, with variable and weak expression in the tonsils and PLN. PNAd, on the other hand, was highly expressed in HEV of tonsils and PLN, and weakly expressed in the PP. These results indicate that the bovine tonsils share characteristics with both PP and PLN. The alpha4beta7/MadCAM-land CD62L/PNAd interaction may be involved in lymphocyte migration to the tonsils, but it is likely that other adhesion molecules participate as well. Similarities between the human and bovine tonsils suggest that cattle may provide a good model to study the role of the tonsil in the respiratory immune response.     

Distribution and retranslocation of (15)N lodgepole pine over eight growing seasons

We studied the distribution and retranslocation of N in 11-year-old Pinus contorta Dougl. trees following a winter application of N at 100 kg ha(-1) as (15)N-urea, (15)NH(4)NO(3) or NH(4) (15)NO(3). In all treatments, there was little uptake of (15)N after the first growing season although labeled N was still present in the soil. In subsequent years, (15)N in the trees was partly retranslocated, and, at the same time, it was diluted by uptake of unlabeled N from the soil. Between Years 1 and 8 after N fertilization, net retranslocation of (15)N from the lower crown (branches formed before fertilization) was 14%, and 18-25% of the (15)N in the trees was translocated to the upper and mid-crown. Overall, uptake of (15)N from nitrate was less than from urea or ammonium. However, when compared with the urea- and ammonium-N sources, (15)N from the nitrate source initially moved as rapidly into the foliage, but a greater proportion of it was retranslocated from the foliage during the second growing season. Nitrogen in foliage and wood formed in the growing season following fertilization was more highly labeled (measured as % N derived from the fertilizer) than in recently formed tissues. Labeling was substantially higher in foliage formed before fertilization than in wood of a similar age. In contrast, N in foliage formed after fertilization had only slightly higher labeling than wood of a similar age, indicating a relatively stable labeling throughout the trees once (15)N uptake had ceased. The concentrations of total and labeled N were substantially higher in foliage than in either wood or bark. There was evidence of N movement into wood tissues formed before fertilization, presumably along rays, and also of N retranslocation out of xylem cells as they matured. This study of internal N cycles was facilitated by the use of (15)N labeling because there was little uptake of labeled N after the first growing season, whereas interpretation based on total N was obscured by substantial uptake of N from the soil. We conclude that retranslocation studies based on measurements of total N content should be avoided.     

A survey of the prevalence of emerging macrocyclic lactone resistance and of benzimidazole resistance in sheep nematodes in the lower North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To investigate the occurrence of emerging macrocyclic lactone (ML) resistance and of resistance to benzimidazole anthelmintics on a number of sheep farms in the North Island of New Zealand.

METHODS: On commercial sheep farms (n=30) in the Taihape district in the North Island of New Zealand, 30 animals were randomly allocated to one of two equal-sized groups and treated with either half of the recommended dose rate of ivermectin (half of 0.2 mg/kg), or with the full recommended dose rate of oxfendazole (4.5 mg/kg). The ivermectin treatment only was used on a further six properties. Faecal egg counts, accompanied by pooled larval cultures, were conducted on all samples at the time of treatment and 7–10 days later.

RESULTS: Resistance, as indicated by a <95% faecal egg count reduction (FECR) in both instances, was found to oxfendazole on 13/30 (43%) farms and to a half dose of ivermectin on 12/36 (33%) properties. For oxfendazole, such resistance was found to involve all six nematode genera whereas for ivermectin it was almost entirely restricted to Ostertagia and Cooperia infections.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that emerging ML resistance may be more common on sheep farms in New Zealand than is generally realised. They also suggest that the half-dose ivermectin faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) may offer some very practical benefits for parasite control by providing early warning of developing resistance to ML drenches and by signalling the possible imminent failure of these at their therapeutic dose rates. The sensitivity and reliability of this procedure may be further enhanced by the inclusion of larval cultures.