Intestinal absorption of colostral lymphoid cells in newborn animals.

In species with an epitheliochorial placenta, colostrums-derived maternal immunoglobulins play a decisive role in the passive protection of newborn animals (Porter et al.,1970; McDowell 1973; Bourne and Curtis 1973; Brown et al., 1975; Newby and Bourne 1977; Butler et al., 1981; Banks 1982; Newby et al., 1982). At the end of pregnancy, numerous lymphoid cells from the mother’s common mucosal system“ (Bienenstock 1974; Solmon 1987) also accumulate in the mammary gland. These cells include T-and B-lymphocytes (Parmely and Beer 1977; Roux et al., 1977; Manning and Parmely 1980; Seelig 1980) which are transferred into the digestive tract of newborn animal with the colostrums. The newborn receives a signigicant number of cells trough mammary secretions, for example piglets ingest about 500-700 million viable maternal cells daily (Le Jan 1996). In rats and sheep, Sheldrake and Husband (1985) as well as Seelig and Head (1987) demonstrated that syngeneic and allogeneic maternal peripheral lymphocytes may be absorbed from the digestive tract.