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Far-off and close-up feeding levels affect immunological performance in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

ABSTRACT: During the peripartum period, dairy cows often have signs of inflammation. Various stresses, including infectious and metabolic diseases, have been discussed as causative for this inflammation. In this study, expression profiles for 17 immune markers were measured in whole blood preparations from 78 dairy cows over a time frame starting 1 wk before calving to 4 wk after calving. Additionally, the effects of far-off and close-up feeding on immune function of dairy cows during the peripartum period were investigated. Cows were assigned to 1 of 2 feeding levels in late lactation to achieve a low and high BCS at the time of dry-off (approximately 4.25 and 5.0 on a 10-point scale). Following dry-off, both herds were managed to achieve a BCS of 5.0 one month before calving; this involved controlled feeding (i.e., maintenance) and over-feeding of ME during the far-off dry period. Within each far-off feeding-level treatment, cows were offered 65, 90, or 120% of their precalving ME requirements for 3 wk precalving in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Analysis of gene expression profiles from blood cells revealed effects of time indicating that the transition cow's immune system counteracts the peripartum inflammation, whereas later postcalving it becomes activated to provide protection against postpartum infections. Far-off feeding affected (P < 0.05) the expression of 2 of the investigated genes at calving. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) expression in unstimulated, peripheral leukocytes were lower (P < 0.05) in animals from the Far-Off_Over-fed group compared with the Far-Off_Control-fed group. Close-up feeding had several effects on gene expression, indicating that immune function in Feed120 animals was distinct from the Feed90 and Feed65. In conclusion, feeding management precalving becomes an important intervention to ensure immunocompetence at and after calving.

SUBMITTER: Lange J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6313127 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Far-off and close-up feeding levels affect immunological performance in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

Lange Joshua J Ganesh Siva S Meier Susanne S Kay Jane K JK Crookenden Mallory A MA Walker Caroline G CG Mitchell Murray D MD Loor Juan J JJ Roche John R JR Heiser Axel A

Journal of animal science 20190101 1

During the peripartum period, dairy cows often have signs of inflammation. Various stresses, including infectious and metabolic diseases, have been discussed as causative for this inflammation. In this study, expression profiles for 17 immune markers were measured in whole blood preparations from 78 dairy cows over a time frame starting 1 wk before calving to 4 wk after calving. Additionally, the effects of far-off and close-up feeding on immune function of dairy cows during the peripartum perio ...[more]

PMID: 30428048

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Project description:A transcriptomic approach was used to evaluate potential interactions between prepartum body condition score (BCS) and feeding management in the weeks before calving on hepatic metabolism during the transition period. Thirty-two mid-lactation grazing dairy cows of mixed age and breed were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two prepartum BCS categories [4.0 (thin, BCS4) and 5.0 (optimal, BCS5); based on a 10-point scale], and two levels of energy intake during the 3 wk preceding calving (75 and 125% of estimated requirements). Liver samples were obtained at -7, 7, and 28 d relative to parturition and subsequent RNA was hybridized to the Agilent 44K Bovine (V2) Microarray chip. The Dynamic Impact Approach was used for pathway analysis, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used for gene network analysis. The greater number of differentially expressed genes in BCS4 cows in response to prepartum feed allowance indicated that these animals were more responsive to prepartum nutrition management than optimally-conditioned cows. However, independent of prepartum BCS, pathway analysis revealed that prepartal feeding level had a marked effect on carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, and glycan metabolism. Altered carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism indicated a greater and more prolonged negative energy balance post-calving in BCS5 cows overfed prepartum. This was indicated by opposite effects of pre-calving feeding in in BCS4 compared with BCS5 cows in amino acid, vitamin, and co-factor metabolism. The prepartum feed restriction ameliorated the metabolic adaptation to the new lactation in BCS5 cows, while detrimentally affecting BCS4 cows, which seemed to adapt better when overfed. Moreover, alterations in the glycosaminoglycans synthesis pathway support this idea, indicating better hepatic health status in feed-restricted BCS5 cows and overfed BCS4 animals. IPA network analysis indicated liver damage in feed-restricted thin cows, likely due to metabolic overload. Overall, the data indicate that overfeeding in late-pregnancy should be limited to underconditioned animals, while cow with optimal degree of body condition should be maintained on an energy restricted diet.

Project description:The objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of postpartum disease and to evaluate the association with serum cholesterol concentrations during the first 3 weeks after calving in grazing dairy cows. The association between non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), calcium and postpartum diseases was also evaluated. A total of 307 Holstein dairy cows from 6 commercial grazing herds in Osorno, Chile, were monitored from calving until 21 days in milk. Cases of retained placenta, clinical hypocalcemia and clinical mastitis were recorded by the farmer using established definitions. Twice weekly, cows were evaluated for metritis by the same veterinarian based on vaginal discharge and body temperature. Postpartum blood samples were collected weekly and analyzed for serum concentrations of cholesterol, NEFA, BHBA and calcium. Cows were considered as having subclinical ketosis if BHBA >1.2 mmol/L, and subclinical hypocalcemia if calcium <2.0 mmol/L in any of the 3 weekly samples. Overall, 56% of the cows studied developed at least one clinical or subclinical disease after calving. Incidence of individual diseases was 8.8% for retained placenta, 4.2% for clinical hypocalcemia, 11.7% for clinical mastitis, 41.1% for metritis, 19.9% for subclinical hypocalcemia and 16.6% for subclinical ketosis. Lower postpartum cholesterol in cows was associated with developing severe metritis or having more than one clinical disease after calving. For every 0.4 mmol/L decrease in serum cholesterol cows were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with multiple clinical diseases after calving. Higher BHBA concentrations and lower calcium concentrations during week 1 were associated with severe cases of metritis. Low serum calcium concentration during week 1 was also associated with developing more than one clinical disorder after calving. In conclusion, the incidence of postpartum diseases can be high even in grazing herds and lower serum cholesterol concentrations were associated with occurrence of clinical postpatum disorders.

Project description:BackgroundOverconditioned dairy cows are susceptible to excessive lipolysis and increased insulin resistance during the transition period. The associations among body fat reserve, insulin resistance, and lipolysis in adipose tissues (AT) remain to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether excessive fat reserves influence the insulin signaling pathway in AT postpartum.ResultsTwenty multiparous dairy cows were selected and assigned to one of two groups, according to prepartum body condition score (BCS): Control group (BCS = 3.0-3.5; n = 10) and Overconditioned group (BCS ≥ 4.0; n = 10). Blood samples were collected on days -14, -7, -4, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 relative to parturition. Subcutaneous AT were collected on day 2 following parturition for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. No differences were observed between the two groups in serum glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyric acid, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, insulin, or leptin concentrations during the experimental period. Compared with the control cows, the overconditioned cows had lower serum triglyceride levels and higher adiponectin concentrations. In the AT postpartum, insulin receptor mRNA and protein levels were lower in the overconditioned cows than in the control cows, and no differences were found in glucose transporter 4 mRNA. Compared with the control cows, the overconditioned cows had lower mRNA levels of TNFα and higher mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in AT postpartum. The phosphorylated protein kinase B (AKT) content and phosphorylation rate of AKT were increased in the overconditioned cows compared with the control cows, which suggested that the downstream insulin signaling in AT was affected.ConclusionsIn the present study, transition dairy cows with higher BCS did not show more fat mobilization. The changes of insulin signaling pathway in AT postpartum of overconditioned cows may be partly related to the expression of PPARγ and TNFα, and the secretion of adiponectin.

Project description:Dairy cows experience dramatic changes in host physiology from gestation to lactation period and dietary switch from high-forage prepartum diet to high-concentrate postpartum diet over the transition period (parturition +/- three weeks). Understanding the community structure and activity of the rumen microbiota and its associative patterns over the transition period may provide insight for e.g. improving animal health and production. In the present study, rumen samples from ten primiparous Holstein dairy cows were collected over seven weeks spanning the transition period. Total RNA was extracted from the rumen samples and cDNA thereof was subsequently used for characterizing the metabolically active bacterial (16S rRNA transcript amplicon sequencing) and archaeal (qPCR, T-RFLP and mcrA and 16S rRNA transcript amplicon sequencing) communities. The metabolically active bacterial community was dominated by three phyla, showing significant changes in relative abundance range over the transition period: Firmicutes (from prepartum 57% to postpartum 35%), Bacteroidetes (from prepartum 22% to postpartum 18%) and Proteobacteria (from prepartum 7% to postpartum 32%). For the archaea, qPCR analysis of 16S rRNA transcript number, revealed a significant prepartum to postpartum increase in Methanobacteriales, in accordance with an observed increase (from prepartum 80% to postpartum 89%) in relative abundance of 16S rRNA transcript amplicons allocated to this order. On the other hand, a significant prepartum to postpartum decrease (from 15% to 2%) was observed in relative abundance of Methanomassiliicoccales 16S rRNA transcripts. In contrast to qPCR analysis of the 16S rRNA transcripts, quantification of mcrA transcripts revealed no change in total abundance of metabolically active methanogens over the transition period. According to T-RFLP analysis of the mcrA transcripts, two Methanobacteriales genera, Methanobrevibacter and Methanosphaera (represented by the T-RFs 39 and 267 bp), represented more than 70% of the metabolically active methanogens, showing no significant changes over the transition period; minor T-RFs, likely to represent members of the order Methanomassiliicoccales and with a relative abundance below 5% in total, decreased significantly over the transition period. In accordance with the T-RFLP analysis, the mcrA transcript amplicon sequencing revealed Methanobacteriales to cover 99% of the total reads, dominated by the genera Methanobrevibacter (75%) and Methanosphaera (24%), whereas the Methanomassiliicoccales order covered only 0.2% of the total reads. In conclusion, the present study showed that the structure of the metabolically active bacterial and archaeal rumen communities changed over the transition period, likely in response to the dramatic changes in physiology and nutritional factors like dry matter intake and feed composition. It should be noted however that for the methanogens, the observed community changes were influenced by the analyzed gene (mcrA or 16S rRNA).

Dataset Information

Far-off and close-up feeding levels affect immunological performance in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

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Far-off and close-up feeding levels affect immunological performance in grazing dairy cows during the transition period.

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