Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-28T23:58:16.622Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of milk yield and energy balance on neutrophil function in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

J. J. Poelarends ,
L. Kruijt ,
H. van der Gaast  and
R. F. Veerkamp
J. J. Poelarends
Affiliation:
DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
L. Kruijt
Affiliation:
DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
H. van der Gaast
Affiliation:
DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
R. F. Veerkamp
Affiliation:
DLO-Institute for Animal Science and Health, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

Neutrophils perform a series of sequential functions to kill pathogens entering the body. The objective of this study was to investigate whether variation across cows in neutrophil function tests is related to milk production and energy balance. Blood samples from 37 Holstein-Friesian heifers were taken early morning after milking and prior to feeding. Each cow was sampled about 30 days before calving and at 30 and 100 days after calving. Three groups of neutrophil function tests were used: (i) measurement of phagocytosis of bacteria (with heat inactivated serum (no complement) or complete serum (complement and antibodies)); (ii) measuring production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with 30, 100 or 300 nmol/l phorbol myristate acetate (PMA); and (iii) after ingestion of bacteria (Staphylococcus or Streptococcus). Milk production (including fat, protein and lactose percentage), live weight and food intake were recorded for the first 100 days of lactation and blood metabolic concentrations (non-esterified fatty acid, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate) were measured fortnightly (six samples per cow). Restricted maximum likelihood was used to estimate the regression coefficients of neutrophil function on these traits and cow identity was fitted as random effect to account for the repeated measurements. There was no effect of milk yield on the neutrophil function but animals with a higher food intake and a more positive energy balance had a lower ROS production across the lactation (PMA). Of the metabolic characteristics, (beta hydroxybutyrate was positively associated with the capacity of reactive oxygen species production (significantly for 300 nmol/l PMA and close to significant for 100 nmol/l PMA; P < 0.05) but negatively with reactive oxygen species after ingestion of bacteria. Hence, results from these two reactive oxygen species tests contradict each other. The results suggest that immune function is not affected by selection for milk yield, as long as food intake capacity is increased sufficiently.

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 24: Metabolic stress in dairy cows , 1999 , pp. 203 - 208
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Burvenich, C., Paape, M. J., Hill, A. W., Guidry, A. J., Miller, R. H., Heyneman, R., Kremer, W. D. J. and Brand, A. 1994. Role of the neutrophil leucocyte in the local and systemic reactions during experimentally induced E.coli mastitis in cows immediately after calving. The Veterinary Quarterly 16:45–50.Google Scholar
Cai, T., Weston, P. G., Lund, L. A., Brodie, B., McKenna, D. J. and Wagner, W.C. 1994. Association between neutrophil functions and periparturient disorders in cows. American Journal of Veterinary Research 55:934–943.Google Scholar
Cooray, R. and Hakansson, L. 1995. Defective polymorphonuclear neutrophil function in dairy cows showing enhanced susceptibility to intramammary infections. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 42: 625–632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Detilleux, J.C., Kehrli, M. E., Stabel, J. R., Freeman, A. E. and Kelly, D. H. 1995. Study of immunological dysfunction in periparturient Holstein cattle selected for high and average milk production. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 44: 251–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Detilleux, J.C., Koehler, K. J., Freeman, A. E., Kehrli, M. E. and Kelly, D. H. 1994. Immunological parameters of periparturient Holstein cattle: genetic variation. Journal of Dairy Science 77:2640–2650.Google Scholar
Dosogne, H. and Burvenich, C. 1996. [Escherichia coli mastitis in periparturient cows: an overview of ten years of research on the role of neutrophil leukocytes in local and systemic reactions.] Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift 65: 62–71.Google Scholar
Dunklee, H., Freeman, A. E. and Kelley, D. H. 1994. Comparison of Holsteins selected for high and average milk production. 2. Health and reproductive response to selection for milk. Journal of Dairy Science 77:3683–3690.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genstat. 1994. Genstat 5, release 3 reference manual, edition 1994. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gilbert, R. O., Gröhn, Y. T., Guard, C. L. and Surman, V. 1993a. Impaired post partům neutrophil function in cows which retain fetal membranes. Research in Veterinary Science 55:15–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilbert, R. O., Gröhn, Y. T., Miller, P. M. and Hoffman, D. J. 1993b. Effect of parity on periparturient neutrophil function in dairy cows. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 36:75–82.Google Scholar
Gunnink, J. W. 1984. Retained placenta and leucocytic activity. The Veterinary Quarterly 6:49–104.Google Scholar
Kehrli, M. E., Nonnecke, B. J. and Roth, J. A. 1989a. Alterations in bovine neutrophil function during the periparturient period. American Journal of Veterinary Research 50: 207–214.Google ScholarPubMed
Kehrli, M. E., Nonnecke, B. J. and Roth, J. A. 1989b. Alterations in bovine lymphocyte function during the periparturient period. American Journal of Veterinary Research 50: 215–219.Google ScholarPubMed
Kehrli, M.E., Weigel, K. A., Freeman, A. E., Thurston, J. R. and Kelley, D. H. 1991. Bovine sire effects on daughters’ in vitro blood neutrophil functions, lymphocyte blastogenesis, serum complement and conglutinin levels. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 27:303–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keim, S.C., Detilleux, J.C., Freeman, A. E., Kehrli, M. E., Dietz, A.B., Fox, L. K., Butler, J. E., Kasckovics, I. and Kelley, D. H. 1997. Genetic association between parameters of innate immunity and measures of mastitis in periparturient Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 80: 1767–1775.Google Scholar
Klucinski, W., Degorski, A., Miernik-Degorska, E., Targowski, S. and Winnicka, A. 1988. Effect of ketone bodies on the phagocytic activity of bovine milk macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 35:632–639.Google Scholar
Kremer, W. D. J., Noordhuizen-Stassen, E. N., Grommers, F. J., Schukken, Y. H., Heeringa, R., Brand, A. and Burvenich, C. 1993. Severity of experimental Escherichia coli mastitis in ketonemic and nonketonemic dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 76: 3428–3436.Google Scholar
Lyons, D. T., Freeman, A. E. and Kuck, A. L. 1991. Genetics of health traits in Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 1092–1100.Google Scholar
Roitt, I. A., Brostoff, J. and Male, D. K. 1993. Immunology, third edition. Gower Medical Publishing Ltd, London.Google Scholar
Ropstadt, E., Larsen, H. J. and Refsdal, A. O. 1989. Immune function in dairy cows related to energy balance and metabolic status in early lactation. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 30:209–219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smits, E., Burvenich, C. and Heyneman, R. 1997. Simultaneous flow cytometric measurement of phagocytotic and oxidative burst activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in whole bovine blood. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 56: 259–269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weigel, K. A., Freeman, A. E., Kehrli, M. E., Thurston, J. R. and Kelley, D. H. 1992. Relationship of in vitro immune function with health and production in Holstein cattle. journal of Dairy Science 75:1672–1679.Google Scholar
Werven, T. van, Broek, J. van den, Noordhuizen-Stassen, E. N., Daemen, A. J. J. M., Schukken, Y. H. and Brand, A. 1996. Within day and between day variation of the in vitro under agarose chemotaxis assay in bovine. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 55:83–91.Google Scholar
Werven, T. van, Broek, J. van den, Noordhuizen-Stassen, E. N., Daemen, A. J. J. M., Schukken, Y. H., Brand, A. and Burvenich, C. 1997. Preinfection in vitro chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and expression of CDU/ CD18 receptors and their predictive capacity on the outcome of mastitis induced in dairy cows with Escherichia coli . Journal of Dairy Science 80:67–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar