Hodgkinson, A.J.Carpenter, Edward A.Smith, C.S.Molan, Peter C.Prosser, Colin G.2010-08-062010-08-062009Hodgkinson, A.J., Carpenter, E.A., Smith, C.S., Molan, P.C. & Prosser, C.G. (2009). Effects on adhesion molecule expression and lymphocytes in the bovine mammary gland following intra-mammary immunisation. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 131(1-2), 110-116.https://hdl.handle.net/10289/4256Changes to adhesion molecule expression and lymphocyte populations were evaluated in alveolar mammary tissue collected from cows following an immunisation protocol that involved intra-mammary inoculation to induce an IgA response in mammary secretions. The right quarters of the udder were immunised; the left side acted as a control. Antibody titres in secretions showed that at least two animals responded with antigen-specific IgA. Numbers of T-lymphocytes were 4-fold higher in immunised glands compared with controls (P < 0.05). IgA-, IgM- and IgG-positive cell numbers were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in immunised glands compared with controls in three of the four cows. No mucosal addressin molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), vascular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) or peripheral node addressin (PNAd) protein expression was detected on smaller venules that stained positively for von Willebrand factor in alveolar mammary tissues, from either immunised or control glands. Both VCAM-1 and PNAd were detected on smaller venules in supramammary lymph nodes, however, there was no significant difference between immunised and control glands. Quantification of MAdCAM-1 mRNA showed very low expression in both immunised and control alveolar tissue compared with Peyer's patch positive-control tissue. These findings suggest that the bovine mammary gland is capable of a mucosal antibody response; however, MAdCAM-1 is not involved with lymphocyte homing to the mammary gland in this species.enbovinemammary glandmucosal immunityvascular addressinscell-adhesion moleculesT lymphocytesB cellsJournal Article10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.03.016