Active immunization of beef heifers against luteinizing hormone: I. Evaluation of protein carriers and adjuvants on antigenicity of LH

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate two carrier proteins and nine adjuvants in promoting antibody production in heifers immunized against LH. The anti-LH antibody response was evaluated in heifers immunized against LH conjugated to either ovalbumin or keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (Exp. 1). In Exp. 2, an LH-ovalbumin conjugate was used to evaluate effectiveness of nine different adjuvants in antibody production. Weekly blood samples were collected from all heifers throughout the 23-wk study to determine LH antibody binding activity. In Exp. 1, heifers immunized with the LH-ovalbumin (LH-oval) conjugate had greater LH antibody binding activities (P less than .001) than those immunized with the LH-KLH conjugate. In Exp. 2, nine groups of heifers were immunized with LH-oval suspended in one of nine adjuvants; a 10th group was immunized against ovalbumin alone (control). Only adjuvants that contained at least 40% oil resulted in LH antibody binding activity that differed (P less than .01) from control. These results show that ovalbumin was a superior carrier protein to KLH in enhancing antibody production; adjuvants with greater than 50% oil were superior to those with less oil in promoting LH antibody production.     

BCG treatment of periocular sarcoid

Twenty-six horses and five mules with periocular sarcoids were treated with intralesional injections of a purified bacillus of Calmette and Guerin (BCG) cell walls in oil suspension. All sarcoids were cured and the horses and mules remained free from recurrence of sarcoid during the two-year follow-up period.     

An attempt to protect calves against experimental bovine leukosis using allografts

Six calves sensitised by implanting skin from a calf were later inoculated with lymphocytes from the same calf after the calf had been infected with bovine leukosis virus (BLV). Two out of 6 calves challenged did not develop BLV antibodies and BLV was not isolated from these animals, whereas all of the 5 control calves became infected with BLV.