Effects of abomasal infusions of fatty acids and one-carbon donors on hepatic ceramide and phosphatidylcholine in lactating Holstein dairy cows.

ABSTRACT

Our objectives were to (1) determine whether the abomasal infusion of behenic acid (C220) elevated hepatic ceramide relative to palmitic acid (C160) or docosahexaenoic acid (C226n-3) infusion; (2) assess whether the abomasal infusion of choline chloride or l-serine elevated hepatic phosphatidylcholine (PC) in cows abomasally infused with C160; and (3) characterize the PC lipidome in cows abomasally infused with C226n-3, relative to C160 or C220 infusion. In a 5 × 5 Latin square design, 5 rumen-cannulated Holstein cows (214 ± 4.9 DIM; 3.2 ± 1.1 parity) were enrolled in a study with 6-d periods. Abomasal infusates consisted of (1) palmitic acid (PA; 98% C160); (2) PA + choline chloride (PA+C; 50 g/d choline chloride); (3) PA + l-serine (PA+S; 170 g/d l-serine); (4) behenic acid (BA; 92% C220); and (5) an algal oil rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 44% C226n-3). Emulsion infusates provided 301 g/d of total fatty acids containing a minimum of 40 g/d of C160. Cows were fed a corn silage-based diet. Milk was collected on d -2, -1, 5, and 6. Blood was collected and liver biopsied on d 6 of each period. Although we did not detect differences in milk yield, milk fat yield and content were lower in cows infused with DHA relative to PA. Plasma triacylglycerol concentrations were lower with DHA treatment relative to PA or BA. Cows infused with DHA had lower plasma insulin concentrations relative to cows infused with PA only. For objective 1, hepatic ceramide-d182/220 was highest in cows infused with BA relative to other treatments. For objective 2, plasma free choline concentrations were greater in PA+C cows relative to PA; however, we did not observe this effect with PA+S. Plasma total PC concentrations were similar for all treatments. Regarding the hepatic lipidome, a total of 18 hepatic PC were higher (e.g., PC-161/182) and 25 PC were lower (e.g., PC-160/226) with PA+C infusion relative to PA. In addition, 17 PC were higher (e.g., PC-203/225) and 21 PC were lower (e.g., PC-180/226) with PA+S infusion relative to PA. For objective 3, hepatic concentrations of many individual saturated PC (e.g., PC-180/150) were lower with DHA relative to other treatments. Hepatic concentrations of highly unsaturated PC with very-long-chain fatty acids (e.g., PC-140/226) were higher in DHA-infused cows relative to PA, PA+C, PA+S, or BA. The abomasal infusion of emulsions containing palmitic acid, palmitic acid with choline chloride or serine, behenic acid, or docosahexaenoic acid influence the hepatic ceramide and PC profiles of lactating cows.