Proliferation and immunoglobulin production of hybridoma cells cultured on mastitic whey

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide experimental mastitis was performed in order to obtain the same milk composition change involved in a clinical mastitis without, however, any bacterial proteolytic participation. Whey from milk with a high somatic cell count (SCC) had a lower mitogenic effect on anti-human prolactin-hybridoma (anti-hPL) cell culture but a greater immunostimulating effect than that of the fetal calf serum regularly used in cell culture. This immunostimulating effect was more pronounced when expressed per cell, with an effect two- to three- fold higher than that of fetal calf serum (P < 0.01), which illustrated the efficiency of such a complement.