Transfer of insulin-binding antibodies from nanny goats to kids

In 30 female goats hyperimmunized with bovine insulin, antibody concentrations in serum were determined by radioimmunoassay. Blood samples were taken from the newborn lambs immediately after birth and during the 12 weeks thereafter. Twin lambs were separated and reared in either a colostrum-fed or a colostrum-deprived group. Bovine insulin was added to the milk rations of colostrum-deprived lambs. At the age of 10 weeks, these kids were given a single dose of 1 IU of insulin in combination with complete Freund's adjuvant. Colostrum from nanny goats was also secured for further investigations. Most of the hyperimmunized adult goats responded with the development of insulin antibodies. Their kids were born without these specific immunoglobulins, but several hours after they were allowed to suckle colostrum, the antibody concentration reached values comparable with the values measured in the nanny's blood. Colostrum-deprived kids did not show an increase in binding capacity. The addition of insulin to the milk rations of bottle-fed kids did not act as a primer in antibody production. Immunoglobulins in blood serum of nanny goats and kids and in colostral whey belong mainly to the IgG class. These results indicate that in goats, maternal insulin antibodies are transferred from nanny to offspring only by colostrum.