Functional and ultrastructural evaluation of neutrophils from foals and lactating and nonlactating mares.

Neutrophils from 4 pony foals, 3 lactating pony mares, and 3 nonlactating mares were evaluated ultrastructurally and by in vitro function tests. Neutrophils from foals had significantly (P = 0.05) less random migration than neutrophils from mares; values in tests for iodination and Staphylococcus aureus ingestion were also lower with foal neutrophils. Neutrophils from lactating mares had lower responses to iodination, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and random migration tests than did neutrophils from nonlactating mares. Ultrastructurally, granule concentration did not differ significantly among groups. A slight decrease in primary granules and a corresponding increase in granules with a flocculent matrix indicates partial spontaneous neutrophil degranulation in foals and lactating mares.