Bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) is a bovine lentivirus that has antigenic and genetic homology with the human immunodeficiency virus. Little work has been reported on the effect of BIV infection on bovine immune function. This study was designed to evaluate lymphocyte blastogenesis, mononuclear cell subset numbers, neutrophil function, hematology, and clinical signs in three groups of cattle. These groups were evaluated at 0-2 months post inoculation (PI, Group 1), 4-5 months PI (Group 2), or 19-27 months PI (Group 3). BIV infected animals were inoculated with the R-29 isolate of BIV in tissue culture cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a R-29 infected calf, or a molecular clone of the R-29 isolate. Most inoculated animals seroconverted to BIV by Western immunoblot. BIV was reisolated from most of the animals inoculated. BIV infection was associated with an increase in the lymphocyte blastogenic response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin in Groups 2 and 3. Neutrophil antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity and neutrophil iodination were decreased (P < 0.05) in BIV infected cattle (Groups 2 and 3 and Group 3, respectively). All animals were clinically normal during the evaluation periods. Notable differences were not observed in the other assessments performed. Work with additional BIV isolates and over longer time frames is warranted.

Livers from 7- to 14-day old pigs were maintained on a perfusion apparatus for 3 h. The perfused livers maintained physiologic and immunologic functions during perfusion. The perfused livers retained 78-94% of a non-recirculating inoculum of approximately 1-5 x 10(8) Salmonella choleraesuis (Scs), and cleared 94.9 +/- 1.7% of the retained (Scs) during the 3-h perfusion period. When the acute phase response (APR) was induced in liver donor pigs 24 h before liver perfusion, the perfused livers had diminished capability to retain, and greatly diminished capability to clear Scs. When sterile, filtered, and concentrated liver perfusate (LP) from previous, LPS-perfused livers was added to the perfusion fluid (PF) at 50 min of Scs perfusion (passive APR), Scs clearance was inhibited. When sterile, filtered LP from previously Scs perfused livers was added to the system, liver clearance was abolished, and Scs always grew in such livers during the 3 h perfusion period. The LP of livers perfused with Scs enhanced growth of Scs in an in vitro assay. These observations suggest that products of the acute phase response favor growth of Scs in vitro and in vivo.

Primary monolayer cultures of anterior or intermediate lobe (IL) cells from rat pituitaries were grown in microttier plates, and the test substances were added after 5 days. The hormones were measured by RIAs for rat prolactin, α-MSH, ACTH and β-endorphin/β-LPH. The dopamine (DA) inhibition of prolactin secretion was attenuated by addition of equimolar (10−7, 10−6M) concentration of β-endorphin. Furthermore, the DA effect was blocked, when the β-endorphin-release of anterior pituitary cells was stimulated by vasopressin. In contrast, the DA induced inhibition of hormone-release of IL-cells (e.g. α-MSH, ACTH and β-endorphin) was not influenced by addition of opioids.