NEUROENDOCRINE AND UNSPECIFIC IMMUNE-RESP ONSE IN BOVINE ADAPTIVE PROCESSES

Young bulls of two breeds of cattle (Galloway, G, and German Black Pie d Milk Cattle, B,) eight in each rase which could arrange to behaviora l types according to the fight-flight syndrome in bleeding stress (G f ight types, B flight types) were studied in the unspecific immune resp onse to nutritional variants which were similar to the saison variety in the food availability on natural biotops. An infusion of liberins ( CRF and TRH), using 4 randomly selected and 2 control animals of each breed of cattles, intended a standardised neurocrine signaling like su ch which emerged in a dangerous situation. The control received physio logical saline. The endocrine response (cortisol (c), T4) and the seru m levels of the immune components C3c, CRP, alpha2-macroglobulin (alph a2M), immunoglobulin-gamma (IgG) were monitored by EIA-kits and nephel ometrical analysis, resp., using rabbit antisera to human blood immuno proteins with public reaction to the bovine immunoproteins. The c-leve l responded to CRF differently according to the behavioral types, to T RH only in G with an increase. The T4 level was somewhat but signfican tly enlarged 60 min after CRF infusion in both behavioral types, and a fter TRH infusion only in B (+44 %). After infusion (60 min.) CRP resp onded markedly (B-38 %, G + 8 % compared with the control) and the C3c level rose to 11 % in B but was not altered in G. TRH caused also dif ferent effects among G and B in the immune components. A nutritional c hange affected differently the level of immunoproteins in G and B, but the effects were limited to certain nutritional variants. Overall the IgG level was smaller in G (about 30 %) but covaried with the nutriti onal levels in both groups. As the other characteristics indicated con siderable differences in response to the liberins or to nutritional ch anges it was suggested different immunoneurocrine netting which may im portant for successful adaption to varying life conditions. The altere d netting may correspond with the anthropogenic breeding in B to high milk yields.