Fig 3. Synergistic effect of innate (LPS) and antigen-specific response to trigger milk leukocytosis in the mammary gland of responder cows previously immunized with ovalbumin.

Ten cows immunized with ovalbumin were challenged with either LPS, ovalbumin or both in three different quarters, and milk cell concentrations were monitored. Median values and interquartiles are represented. In quarters of five responder cows that reacted to ovalbumin (A), cell influx was reinforced by the addition of LPS, whereas in the quarters of the five cows that did not respond to ovalbumin, the combination with LPS was without effect (B). C) Concentrations of cells in milk (SCC) at 16 hpi, each point represents one quarter of the eight ovalbumin-responder cows (three cows of the pilot experiment plus five cows of the main experiment). D) Cell concentrations in the milk of the five non-responder cows at 16 hpi. Cell concentrations in milk from quarters infused with ovalbumin and LPS are significantly different from the cell concentrations in milk from quarters infused with either ovalbumin (p < 0.05) or LPS (p < 0.01).