Studies on skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT) of black Bengal goat

Abstract

Black Bengal Goat is a meat-type breed, known for high prolificacy, superior meat quality and best quality skin. Due to high mortality and morbidity rates in kids low cost “goatery” is not popularizing. General health and disease susceptibility is directly related with the immune status of the individual. Innate immunity includes the external barriers of the body, like the skin and mucous membranes, which are our first line of defense in preventing diseases from entering the body. Hence the present studies has been undertaken to elucidate with the age wise gross structural development of skin, to identify Langerhans cells of the skin and identify age wise changes of N.K. Cells. Skins were collected from clinically healthy zero day and month wise from one month to fifth months old Black Bengal goats. Skin as a whole the largest organ of the body gives the natural immunity from the date of birth. Stratum lucidum was absent in all age groups. The skin thickness increased gradually with the increment of age. The depth of the sweat gland, hair follicle was increased with age. CD57 antibody against Caprine NK cells antigen was used to identify NK cells, S100 and MHC-II-both immune markers were used to identify APC cells of the skin. The presence of different APC and NK cells and there increment with age revealed the active role of skin to combat the body defense mechanism from date of birth. But initially up to 2nd months there was some less population but from 3rd months the number of APC and NK cells increased rapidly.