In Animals
Hemolytic disease is a well-known condition in newborn foals, especially in Thoroughbreds and mules. Mares or jennies which have been sensitized by a previous pregnancy develop antibodies by fetal blood cells crossing the placental barrier. The iso-antibodies do not transcend the fetal barrier, but are present in colostrum. The Neonatal Fc receptor which in case of humans transfer the maternal antibody from mother through placenta to fetus, in this case is involved in transporting the IgG1 antibodies from mother animal's mammary gland into milk and then again from the ingested milk across the newborn intestine into the newborn animal's circulation. The placenta of mammals can be of many varieties and unless it is hemochorial like humans and some rodents, the IgG of mother cannot directly cross the placenta and passively immunize the fetus. Horse (and also ruminants) have epitheliochorial placenta. Thus IgG1 will enter the bloodstream of the foal only after birth when colostrum immunoglobulins are exposed to FcRn in the newborn intestine, in the first days of life. Hence, hemolytic disease will develop only after birth : first to 4th day in foal and 3 to 7 days in newborn mules. Affected animals show lethargy, recumbency, tachycardia, and progressive icterus of eye and mouth mucosae, which rapidly leads to death. The condition is also described in newborn pigs and other animals
Read more about this topic: Erythroblastosis Fetalis
Famous quotes containing the word animals:
“There is no instant of time when one creature is not being devoured by another. Over all these numerous races of animals man is placed, and his destructive hand spares nothing that lives. He kills to obtain food and he kills to clothe himself; he kills to adorn himself; he kills in order to attack and he kills to defend himself; he kills to instruct himself and he kills to amuse himself; he kills to kill. Proud and terrible king, he wants everything and nothing resists him.”
—Joseph De Maistre (1753–1821)
“The struggle alone pleases us, not the victory. We love to see animals fighting, not the victor raving over the vanquished.... It is the same in gambling, and the same in the search for truth.... We never seek things for themselves—what we seek is the very seeking of things.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)