Milk from hyperimmunized dairy cows as a source of a novel biological response modifier.

Laboratory investigations have established that hyperimmunization of dairy cows with a polyvalent bacterial vaccine results in the secretion of biologically active substances into the milk. One of these factors, a low molecular weight anti-inflammatory agent (HIMF), has been studied in detail. The evidence supports the hypothesis that HIMF suppresses inflammation by inhibiting neutrophil emigration. Additionally, the experiments suggested that HIMF was capable of modifying the host response to infection and lymphocyte function. These effects have considerable clinical potential and were therefore investigated further. Intravenous administration of HIMF to rats with subcutaneous E. coli infection reduced the influx of neutrophils in the early phase of infection by as much as 73%. HIMF suppressed the host vs. graft but not the graft vs. host reaction and resulted in an increase in spleen weight and the number of splenic lymphocytes. The lymphocyte response to concanavalin A was also abrogated by the agent. These data indicate that HIMF may be useful for the inhibition of tissue destructive infectious processes, and in situations where suppression of lymphocyte function is desirable.