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Association of Body Condition Score with Ultrasound Measurements of Backfat and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Thickness in Periparturient Holstein Cows.

ABSTRACT: Most cows experience a period of nutrient deficit during the periparturient period. Body condition scoring (BCS) is widely used on farms to assess body nutrient reserves and mobilization. The aims of this study were to: (i) determine the association of BCS with ultrasound measurements of backfat (BFT) and longissimus dorsi muscle thickness (LDT) during the periparturient period of Holstein cows from different herds, accounting for potential sources of variation, such as herd, parity and period relative to calving and (ii) establish reference intervals (RIs) for BFT and LDT per BCS estimate. Two-hundred and fifty-two cows from six commercial farms were used. Body condition scores, BFT and LDT were assessed at seven time-points during the periparturient period. Assessments of BCS estimates as predictors of BFT and LDT and the contribution of BFT and LDT to BCS estimates were performed with the use of linear mixed models. Reference intervals for BFT and LDT per BCS estimate were established with the Reference Value Advisor. One unit of BCS change was associated with 8.2 mm of BFT and 10.9 mm of LDT pre- and postpartum. Range of BFT and LDT in established RIs per BCS was wide with significant overlap. Both subcutaneous fat and, to a lesser degree, skeletal muscle reserves contribute to BCS estimation. Repeated BCS estimations credibly predict energy balance status in periparturient dairy cows. The metabolic state of muscle tissue should be assessed by repeated ultrasound measurements.

SUBMITTER: Siachos N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8000758 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Simple Summary Metabolic disorders represent a crucial problem in early lactating dairy cows, which lead to major economic losses at the herd level. To allow the prompt detection of metabolic dysfunction with noninvasive and ready-to-use methods on the farm, milk matrix represents the best option. Among milk fine components, the fatty acid profile represents a fingerprint of the cow’s nutritional and metabolic status, being a suitable indicator of metabolic imbalance at the cow level. We performed an association study between milk fatty acid profile and a set of metabolic indicators, such as body condition score, ultrasound liver measurements, and blood metabolites, from 297 Holstein–Friesian cows. We extracted a few latent variables able to explain specific biological mechanisms from the milk fatty acid profile. Then, we explored the associations between these new synthetic variables, namely the factors, and the morphometric, ultrasonographic and hematic indicators of immune and metabolic status. The significant associations of fatty acid factors with blood and ultrasound indicators of inflammation and hepatic load showed the capacity of fatty acids to reflect the energy metabolic status of lactating cows, suggesting their potential usefulness as markers of digestive alterations and metabolic variations in cows during the critical period of early lactation. Abstract Dairy cows have high incidences of metabolic disturbances, which often lead to disease, having a subsequent significant impact on productivity and reproductive performance. As the milk fatty acid (FA) profile represents a fingerprint of the cow’s nutritional and metabolic status, it could be a suitable indicator of metabolic status at the cow level. In this study, we obtained milk FA profile and a set of metabolic indicators (body condition score, ultrasound liver measurements, and 29 hematochemical parameters) from 297 Holstein–Friesian cows. First, we applied a multivariate factor analysis to detect latent structure among the milk FAs. We then explored the associations between these new synthetic variables and the morphometric, ultrasonographic and hematic indicators of immune and metabolic status. Significant associations were exhibited by the odd-chain FAs, which were inversely associated with β-hydroxybutyrate and ceruloplasmin, and positively associated with glucose, albumin, and γ-glutamyl transferase. Short-chain FAs were inversely related to predicted triacylglycerol liver content. Rumen biohydrogenation intermediates were associated with glucose, cholesterol, and albumin. These results offer new insights into the potential use of milk FAs as indicators of variations in energy and nutritional metabolism in early lactating dairy cows.

Project description:BackgroundThe aim of the study was to investigate the effect of energy overfeeding during the dry period on adipose tissue transcriptome profiles during the periparturient period in dairy cows.MethodsFourteen primiparous Holstein cows from a larger cohort receiving a higher-energy diet (1.62 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter; 15% crude protein) for ad libitum intake to supply 150% (OVR) or 100% (CTR) of energy requirements from dry off until parturition were used. After calving, all cows received the same lactation diet. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) biopsies were collected at - 14, 1, and 14 d from parturition (d) and used for transcriptome profiling using a bovine oligonucleotide microarray. Data mining of differentially expressed genes (DEG) between treatments and due to sampling time was performed using the Dynamic Impact Approach (DIA) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA).ResultsThere was a strong effect of over-feeding energy on DEG with 2434 (False discovery rate-corrected P < 0.05) between OVR and CTR at - 14 d, and only 340 and 538 at 1 and 14 d. The most-impacted and activated pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database that were highlighted by DIA analysis at - 14 d in OVR vs. CTR included 9 associated with carbohydrate metabolism, with 'Pyruvate metabolism', 'Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis', and 'Pentose phosphate pathway' among the most-activated. Not surprisingly, OVR led to marked activation of lipid metabolism (e.g. 'Fatty acid biosynthesis' and 'Glycerolipid metabolism'). Unexpected metabolic pathways that were activated at - 14 d in OVR included several related to metabolism of amino acids (e.g. branched chain) and of cofactors and vitamins (thiamin). Among endocrine and immune system pathways, at - 14 d OVR led to marked activation of 'PPAR signalling' and 'Antigen processing and presentation'. Among key pathways affected over time in OVR, a number were related to translation (e.g. mTOR signaling), endocrine/immune signaling (CXCR4 and IGF1), and lipid metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation) with greater activation in OVR vs. CTR specifically at - 14 d. Although statistical differences for several pathways in OVR vs. CTR nearly disappeared at 1 and 14 vs. - 14 d, despite the well-known catabolic state of adipose depots after calving, the bioinformatics analyses suggested important roles for a number of signaling mechanisms at - 14 vs. 14 than 1 vs. -14 d. This was particularly evident in cows fed to meet predicted energy requirements during the dry period (CTR).ConclusionsData underscored a strong activation by overfeeding energy of anabolic processes in the SAT exclusively prepartum. The study confirmed that higher-energy diets prepartum drive a transcriptional cascade of events orchestrated in part by the activation of PPARγ that regulate preadipocyte differentiation and lipid storage in SAT. Novel aspects of SAT biology to energy overfeeding or change in physiologic state also were uncovered, including the role of amino acid metabolism, mTOR signaling, and the immune system.

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Association of Body Condition Score with Ultrasound Measurements of Backfat and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Thickness in Periparturient Holstein Cows.

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