The effect of allogeneic leucocytes in the bovine mammary gland

Abstract Extract There are marked similarities between de- scriptions of chronic bovine mastitis (Helmboldt et al., 1953; Derbyshire, 1958) the appearance of tissue allografts undergoing rejection (Waksman, 1962) and reactions of the graft versus host (GVH) type in various situations (Jones et al., 1969). It nas been shown that bovine milk, which can contain large numbers of leucocytes, may be transferred from one cow's udder into the empty udder of another cow via a “pipeline” milking machine (Whittlestone and Fell, 1969). It is possible that allogeneic leucocytes transferred in this wav could either produce changes typical of chronic bovine mastitis or predispose the recipient udder to infection with the organisms involved in clinical mastitis. Accordingly, the following experiments were undertaken to examine the response of recipient udders to the intramammary injection of allogcneic leucocytes.