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Intestinal lymph-duct cannulae were established in normal and mesenteric lymphadenectomized (MLNx) pigs for the 6-day duration of a local intestinal immune response to a protein antigen (ovalbumin). The daily output of anti-ovalbumin-containing cells (AOCC) in intestinal lymph and the numbers of AOCC in the intestinal lamina propria at the end of the experiment were recorded. Very few AOCC were recovered in the intestinal lymph of normal pigs whereas in MLNx pigs large numbers were recovered reaching a peak output on day 4. However, there were significantly more AOCC detected in the jejunal lamina propria of normal pigs than MLNx pigs despite continuous drainage of intestinal lymph throughout the response. The absence of AOCC from efferent intestinal lymph of normal pigs, the failure of chronic intestinal-lymph drainage to abrogate the AOCC response in the intestine of these pigs and the reversal of these findings in MLNx pigs indicate that, in contrast to other species, lymphoblasts are diverted from porcine intestinal lymph, and probably enter the blood circulation at the level of the mesenteric lymph node (MLN).

A study was made of the local immune response in the udder of the sow following infusion of a soluble antigen. Four mammary glands of each of four pregnant sows were infused with ferritin prepartum. Samples of blood, colostrum, and milk were collected during the following lactation; animals were slaughtered and mammary tissue removed for immunohistology. Blood, colostrum, milk, and mammary tissues were similarly collected from nonimmunized (control) sows. Colostral and milk whey from immunized sows contained higher levels of immunoglobulins than whey from control sows. There was an increase in numbers of IgA-containing plasma cells and total lymphoid cells in mammary tissue of immunized sows compared with controls. The results suggested that the local immune response was at least as great in non-infused glands as infused glands of immunized sows.