Dpr. Kovacs et al., RESPONSE OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LEUKOCYTES TO MITOGENIC FACTOR(S) IN PORCINE SEMINAL PLASMA, Immunology and cell biology, 72(2), 1994, pp. 129-135
Porcine seminal plasma (PSP) contains a potent mitogenic substance cap
able of causing proliferation and extensive agglutination in cultured
porcine peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL). In order to determine the s
pecific leucocyte cell population affected by this mitogen, lymphocyte
, monocyte and polymorphonuclear (PMN)-enriched cell fractions were se
parated from PBL and treated with increasing concentrations of PSP (1-
8%, v/v). For monocyte cell populations enriched through elutriation a
nd adherence to plastic, cell proliferation in response to PSP treatme
nt was consistently higher than PSP-treated unfractionated PBL. Monocy
te-depleted PBL and lymphocyte populations enriched through elutriatio
n demonstrated a decrease in proliferation compared to PSP-treated unf
ractionated PBL. PMN populations separated from PBL by discontinuous P
ercoll gradient centrifugation were unresponsive to PSP. Agglutination
was observed for the unfractionated PBL and each enriched cell popula
tion. These results demonstrate that PSP contains a potent mitogen whi
ch induces proliferation in monocyte-enriched cell populations and may
reflect the potential of PSP to act as an immune regulator in the ute
rine environment during early embryo development and implantation.