Effects of a single transdermal administration of flunixin meglumine in early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows: Part 1. Inflammatory and metabolic markers, uterine health, and indicators of pain

Postpartum dairy cows experience impaired peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functionality, which has been associated with reproductive tract inflammatory diseases. However, it has not been elucidated yet whether endometrial PMN functionality is (equally) impaired. We developed a method for endometrial PMN isolation and flow cytometric assessment of their viability and functionality. We also evaluated PMN immunolabeling, using a specific bovine granulocyte marker, CH138A. Blood and endometrial cytobrush samples were collected in duplicate from seventeen clinically healthy Holstein-Friesian cows between 9 and 37 days in milk. The proportion of viable, apoptotic, and necrotic PMN in endometrial samples roughly ranged from 10 to 80%, indicating highly dynamic endometrial PMN populations in the postpartum uteri. Endometrial PMN functionality testing revealed that PMN immunolabeling increased the accuracy, although this protocol might influence the median fluorescence intensity of the sample. Phagocytosis seemed the most stable and reliable endometrial PMN function and could be assessed satisfactorily without prior CH138A immunolabeling. However, the interpretation of oxidative burst and intracellular proteolysis tests remains challenging. The correlation between peripheral and endometrial PMN functionality was poor. Further research is warranted to unravel the role of uterine PMN viability and functionality in bovine uterine health.

Download Full-text

Risk Assessment and Consequences of Retained Placenta for Uterine Health, Reproduction and Milk Yield in Dairy Cows

Acta Veterinaria Brno ◽

10.2754/avb200978010163 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 78 (1) ◽

pp. 163-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

László Könyves ◽

Ottó Szenci ◽

Viktor Jurkovich ◽

Lászlóné Tegzes ◽

Attila Tirián ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Ovarian Activity ◽

Nefa Concentration ◽

Acid Base ◽

Retained Placenta ◽

Uterine Involution ◽

Holstein Friesian ◽

Uterine Health ◽

Plasma Nefa Concentration

The objective of the study was to determine the value of metabolic indicators characterising the energy and acid-base metabolism of dairy cows for predicting the risk of retained placenta (RP). The connection between RP and different factors analysed, and the effect of RP on the development of puerperal metritis (PM) as well as on reproduction and milk production was studied. A total of 105 Holstein-Friesian cows were included and sampled between days -14–0 prepartum and then on days 4, 10–14, 28–35, 56–63 and 84–91 postpartum, for metabolic tests. From day 4, at times coinciding with the days of metabolic sampling, uterine involution and metritis were monitored by clinical examination, and from days 28–35 ovarian activity was monitored by ultrasonography. On days -14–0, the plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentration showed a positive Odds Ratio (OR) 102.1, P < 0.05; while urinary net acid-base excretion (NABE) exhibited a negative correlation (OR 0.99; P < 0.05) with the odds of RP. NEFA and NABE were negatively correlated (Pearson’s coefficient: -0.24; P < 0.05). Ketonuria of grade ≥ 2+ increased the probability of RP (OR: Infinite; P < 0.05). On day -14–0 prepartum, elevated plasma NEFA concentration, decreasing urinary NABE and grade ≥ 2+ ketonuria indicates a higher risk of RP. The odds of RP were not influenced by parity, sex and viability of the calf, and the calving assistance. RP increased the risk of PM (OR: 27.3; P < 0.0001). The RP alone did not exert an influence on the metabolic status, reproductive performance or milk production of cows.

Download Full-text

Inducing ovulation early postpartum influences uterine health and fertility in dairy cows

Journal of Dairy Science ◽

10.3168/jds.2013-7533 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 97 (6) ◽

pp. 3558-3569 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J.H.J. Bittar ◽

P.J. Pinedo ◽

C.A. Risco ◽

J.E.P. Santos ◽

W.W. Thatcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Early Postpartum ◽

Uterine Health

Download Full-text

Serum Metabolic Markers Pre and Postpartum in Holstein Cows According to the Mastitis Occurrence

Acta Scientiae Veterinariae ◽

10.22456/1679-9216.81881 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Schwegler ◽

Augusto Schneider ◽

Ana Rita Tavares Krause ◽

Paula Montagner ◽

Eduardo Schmitt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Production ◽

Postpartum Period ◽

Clinical Mastitis ◽

Serum Markers ◽

Holstein Cows ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Extensive Management ◽

Early Postpartum

Background: Bovine mastitis causes major economic losses for milk producers by reducing the quantity and the quality of the milk or even leading to the complete loss of the mammary gland secretory capacity. During the transition period, dairy cows are susceptible to infectious diseases; therefore, markers that allow early identification of cows in higher risk of developing diseases are especially useful at this time. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate serum markers in the pre and postpartum of multiparous dairy cows with clinical mastitis and with health condition in the postpartum period in a semi-extensive management system.Materials, Methods & Results: Thirty-Six Holstein cows were monitored daily during milking until 59 days postpartum and were categorized according to the pre-milking strip cup test into clinical mastitis (mastitis group (MG)) and absence of symptoms (control group (CG)) that were negative to the test, representing the health cows. All cows were reared as one group and maintained in a semi-extensive pasture-based system. Blood samples were collected weekly after morning milking via venipuncture of the coccinea vein into tubes without anticoagulant and grouped for prepartum (-21 to 0 days from calving), early postpartum (0 to 30 days from calving), and late postpartum (30 to 59 days from calving) periods. Milk production was recorded daily. The serum markers albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), phosphorus, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS®. The cases of clinical mastitis occurred on average at 37.2 ± 4.9 days postpartum. Health cows (CG) had higher milk production compared to the mastitis group (MG) only in the late postpartum period (P < 0.05). There was no difference among groups for albumin and NEFA concentrations in all periods evaluated (P > 0.05). In the early postpartum period the AST activity was higher in CG than in MG (P = 0.02). The GGT enzyme tended to be more concentrated in the CG than in the MG during the early (P = 0.06) and late (P = 0.08) postpartum periods. Late postpartum phosphorus concentration was lower for MG than CG (P = 0.04). In the prepartum and early postpartum periods, there was no difference among groups for phosphorus concentration (P > 0.05).Discussion: A decrease in milk production in MG compared to CG observed in late postpartum period was due to the incidence of mastitis observed around 37 days postpartum. Cows that presented clinical mastitis in the postpartum period did not differ in the blood concentration of NEFA in the prepartum period. In the late postpartum period higher concentration of phosphorus was observed in the CG than in MG, indicating that animals affected by mastitis may be in the weakest energy status. Regarding liver health, the concentration of AST was higher in the recent postpartum period for CG, in disagreement with previous studies that related AST to tissue injury caused by mastitis. The GGT enzyme tended to had higher concentrations in CG than MG during the whole postpartum period and may be related to increased hepatic metabolism due to higher production. There were no changes in albumin levels among healthy and mastitis cows, indicating that this marker can not be used to predict clinical mastitis. There were no metabolic alterations in the prepartum period related to the occurrence of postpartum mastitis in multiparous cows in a semi-extensive management system.Keywords: AST, dairy cows, NEFA.

Download Full-text

Reproductive Tract Infections in Dairy Cows: Can Probiotics Curb Down the Incidence Rate?

Dairy ◽

10.3390/dairy2010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 40-64

Author(s):

Eduardo Barahona Rosales ◽

Burim N. Ametaj

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Systemic Circulation ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Reproductive Tract Infections ◽

Uterine Health ◽

Lower Fertility ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Uterine Diseases

Postpartum uterine diseases are common in dairy cows and are a great concern for the dairy industry as they are associated with various consequences, including lower fertility, lower milk yield, and an overall negative impact on the host health. An infected uterus is a source of bacterial compounds and cytokines that spill into the systemic circulation, spreading inflammation to other organs. In this review article, we discuss a short overview of the anatomy of the reproductive tract of dairy cows and several infectious diseases of the uterus including metritis, endometritis, and pyometra. Additionally, we discuss the microbiome of the reproductive tract in health and during uterine diseases. As well, diagnostic criteria for metritis and endometritis and contributing factors for increased susceptibility to metritis infection are important topics of this review. To better understand how the uterus and reproductive tract respond to bacterial pathogens, a section of this review is dedicated to immunity of the reproductive tract. Both the innate and adaptive immunity systems are also discussed. We conclude the review with a factual discussion about the current treatments of uterine diseases and the new developments in the area of application of probiotics for uterine health. Mechanisms of actions of probiotics are discussed in detail and also some applications to prevent uterine infections in dairy cows are discussed.

Download Full-text

Association of metabolic markers with neutrophil function in healthy postpartum dairy cows

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology ◽

10.1016/j.vetimm.2020.110182 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 232 ◽

pp. 110182

Author(s):

O. Bogado Pascottini ◽

T.C. Bruinjé ◽

R. Couto Serrenho ◽

B. Mion ◽

S.J. LeBlanc

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Neutrophil Function ◽

Metabolic Markers

Download Full-text

Changes in Dairy Cow Behavior with and without Assistance at Calving

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11080722 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 722

Author(s):

Bethan Cavendish ◽

John McDonagh ◽

Georgios Tzimiropoulos ◽

Kimberley R. Slinger ◽

Zoë J. Huggett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Video Surveillance ◽

Dairy Cow ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Generalized Linear Mixed Model ◽

Behavioral Data ◽

Behavioral Patterns ◽

Holstein Friesian ◽

Time Periods

The aim of this study was to characterize calving behavior of dairy cows and to compare the duration and frequency of behaviors for assisted and unassisted dairy cows at calving. Behavioral data from nine hours prior to calving were collected for 35 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Cows were continuously monitored under 24 h video surveillance. The behaviors of standing, lying, walking, shuffle, eating, drinking and contractions were recorded for each cow until birth. A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess differences in the duration and frequency of behaviors prior to calving for assisted and unassisted cows. The nine hours prior to calving was assessed in three-hour time periods. The study found that the cows spent a large proportion of their time either lying (0.49) or standing (0.35), with a higher frequency of standing (0.36) and shuffle (0.26) bouts than other behaviors during the study. There were no differences in behavior between assisted and unassisted cows. During the three-hours prior to calving, the duration and bouts of lying, including contractions, were higher than during other time periods. While changes in behavior failed to identify an association with calving assistance, the monitoring of behavioral patterns could be used as an alert to the progress of parturition.

Download Full-text

Effects of Intrauterine Infusion of a Chitosan Solution on Recovery and Subsequent Reproductive Performance of Early Postpartum Dairy Cows with Endometritis: A Pilot Field Trial

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11010197 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 197

Author(s):

Hiroaki Okawa ◽

Missaka M.P. Wijayagunawardane ◽

Peter L.A.M. Vos ◽

Osamu Yamato ◽

Masayasu Taniguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes ◽

Prostaglandin F2α ◽

Chitosan Solution ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Groups ◽

Early Postpartum Period ◽

Early Postpartum ◽

And Control

This study investigated the efficacy of intrauterine infusion of a chitosan solution (CHT) on uterine recovery in early postpartum dairy cows with or without endometritis, and their subsequent reproductive performance. In Experiment 1, cows with endometritis at 3 weeks postpartum were administered CHT (n = 5) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) (n = 4). Untreated cows (n = 7) served as the control group. In Experiment 2, 18 cows with a normally recovered uterus at the fresh cow check (mean, 35 days postpartum) were assigned to the CHT (n = 10) and control (n = 8) groups, and intrauterine infusion was conducted in the CHT group. Overall, in Experiment 1, the percentage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes significantly declined in the CHT group (32.3 ± 10.2 to 5.5 ± 2.4, p < 0.05) from week 3 to week 5, but no decline occurred in the PGF2α and control groups. In Experiment 2, the CHT and control groups showed no significant differences in reproductive parameters, suggesting the absence of adverse effects of CHT on fertility. These results suggest that intrauterine infusion of CHT in the early postpartum period effectively accelerates uterine recovery from endometritis and might be a suitable replacement for PGF2α administration.

Download Full-text

The Capacity of Holstein-Friesian and Simmental Cows to Correct a Negative Energy Balance in Relation to Their Performance Parameters, Course of Lactation, and Selected Milk Components

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061674 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1674

Author(s):

Ilona Strączek ◽

Krzysztof Młynek ◽

Agata Danielewicz

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Energy Balance ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Body Condition ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Negative Energy ◽

Negative Energy Balance ◽

Holstein Friesian ◽

Condition Score ◽

Peak Lactation

A significant factor in improving the performance of dairy cows is their physiological ability to correct a negative energy balance (NEB). This study, using Simmental (SIM) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows, aimed to assess changes in NEB (non-esterified fatty acid; body condition score; and C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1) and its effect on the metabolic efficiency of the liver (β-hydroxybutyrate and urea). The effects of NEB on daily yield, production at peak lactation and its duration, and changes in selected milk components were assessed during complete lactation. Up to peak lactation, the loss of the body condition score was similar in both breeds. Subsequently, SIM cows more efficiently restored their BCS. HF cows reached peak lactation faster and with a higher milk yield, but they were less able to correct NEB. During lactation, their non-esterified fatty acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and urea levels were persistently higher, which may indicate less efficient liver function during NEB. The dynamics of NEB were linked to levels of leptin, which has anorectic effects. Its content was usually higher in HF cows and during intensive lactogenesis. An effective response to NEB may be exploited to improve the production and nutritional properties of milk. In the long term, it may extend dairy cows’ productive life and increase lifetime yield.

Download Full-text