Induced lactation in heifers: Effects of dexamethasone and age at induction on milk yield and composition.

Milk production in heifers induced into lactation is lower than that of postpartum primiparous cows. A method to improve milk production in induced lactations may provide opportunities for increased profitability as well as increase our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate mammary gland development and colostrum composition. The present study was conducted to determine if dexamethasone administration at the onset of milking or age at lactation induction would affect milk production in heifers induced into lactation. Holstein heifers at 14 [n=20; 354 ± 38 kg of body weight (BW)] and 18 mo of age (n=20; 456 ± 30 kg of BW) were assigned randomly to dexamethasone (DEX) or control (CON) treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with age and dexamethasone treatment as the 2 factors. Heifers were induced into lactation with daily subcutaneous injections of estradiol-17ß and progesterone (0.075 and 0.25 mg/kg of BW per d, respectively) on experimental d 1 to 7. They also received bovine somatotropin (bST) every 14 d beginning on experimental d 1. Milking began on experiment d 18 (lactation d 1). Dexamethasone (10mg) was administered on lactation d 1 and 2 following the morning milking; CON heifers did not receive dexamethasone. Milk yield from d2 to 15 of lactation of heifers receiving DEX (7.8 kg/d) was greater than that of CON heifers (6.0 kg/d) but was similar thereafter through 305 d of lactation (18.2 kg/d). Milk production to d 11 was similar for 14- and 18-mo-old heifers but was greater for 18- (18.9 kg/d) than for 14-mo-old animals (17.4 kg/d) through 305 d in milk. Milk fat percentage increased initially and was greater in DEX (4.51%) compared with CON (3.53%) heifers until 21 d in milk. Milk protein and lactose concentrations were not affected by DEX treatment. Age at induction did not affect milk fat, protein, or lactose percentages. Mean milk IgG concentration declined from 107.4 mg/mL on d 1 to 5.0mg/mL on d 7 of lactation, tended to be greater for 18- compared with 14-mo-old heifers, and was not different due to DEX treatment. Administration of DEX to heifers induced into lactation increased initial milk production during the first 2 wk of lactation but this effect did not persist through 305 DIM. Treatment with DEX appeared to stimulate mammary cell differentiation but did not change the rate of decline of milk IgG concentrations. Higher milk yield in 18-mo-old heifers may be due to greater mammary epithelium, higher body mass, or both.

Effect of bovine somatotropin administration during induction of lactation in 15-month-old heifers on production and health.

Lactation can be induced successfully in 15-mo-old dairy heifers. Treatment of heifers induced into lactation with bovine somatotropin (bST) during an established lactation improved milk production; however, milk yields were still variable. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether starting bST treatment during induction of lactation, rather than after lactation was established, would improve milk production beyond that of heifers induced into lactation but not treated with bST. Healthy Holstein heifers (n=32, 15 mo of age, 420±28 kg of body weight) were induced into lactation with subcutaneous injections of estradiol (0.075 mg/kg of body weight per d) and progesterone (0.25 mg/kg of body weight per d) for 7 d. Bovine somatotropin (500 mg) was administered to heifers (n=16) beginning on experimental d 1 along with the estrogen/progesterone treatment. Heifers continued to receive bST every 2 wk for 10 wk. Control animals (n=16) received no bST during this time. Milking began on experimental d 18, and milk production was compared through 53 d in milk (experimental d 70). Mean daily milk yield was 36% higher for bST-treated heifers than for control animals. A 15.5% difference in milk production between the groups was sustained through 305 d of lactation, even after control animals began bST treatment at 54 d in milk. Milk fat percentage was similar in bST and control heifers. Milk protein percentage was lower in bST-treated heifers (3.58%) compared with controls (3.99%) during the treatment comparison period and for the remainder of lactation (bST 3.25%, control 3.39%). Heifers treated with bST produced more total milk fat and protein compared with controls during the treatment comparison period. Throughout the induced lactation, heifers gained 0.87 kg/d and averaged 2.4 services/pregnancy; 30 became pregnant. Four heifers were culled during the induced lactation, and 28 heifers calved at 27.6±2.0 mo of age for a second lactation. Addition of bST to the lactation induction protocol was advantageous because it stimulated greater milk production.

Comparison of Holstein and Jersey innate immune responses to Escherichia coli intramammary infection.

Mastitis is one of the most prevalent diseases in cattle and remains among the most costly diseases to the dairy industry. Various surveys have indicated a greater prevalence of and risk for mastitis in Holstein cows than in Jersey cows. The innate immune system comprises the immediate host defense mechanisms that respond to infection, and differences in the magnitude and rapidity of this response are known to influence susceptibility to and clearance of infectious pathogens. The reported differences in the prevalence of mastitis between Holstein and Jersey cows may suggest the occurrence of breed-dependent differences in the innate immune response to intramammary infection. The objective of the current study was to compare the acute phase and cytokine responses of Holstein and Jersey cows following intramammary infection by the bacterial pathogen Escherichia coli, a leading cause of clinical mastitis. All cows in the study were in similar stages of lactation, of the same parity, subjected to the same housing and management conditions, and experimentally infected on the same day with the same inoculum preparation. Before and after infection, the following innate immune parameters were monitored: bacterial clearance; febrile response; induction of the acute phase proteins serum amyloid A and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein; alterations in total and differential white blood cell counts; changes in milk somatic cell counts and mammary vascular permeability; and induction of the cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-8, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Overall innate immune responses were similar between the 2 breeds; however, temporal differences in the onset, cessation, and duration of several responses were detected. Despite these differences, intramammary clearance of E. coli was comparable between the breeds. Together, these data demonstrate a highly conserved innate immune response of Holstein and Jersey cows to E. coli intramammary infection.

Innate immune response to intramammary Mycoplasma bovis infection.

The objective of the current study was to characterize the systemic and local innate immune response of dairy cows to IMI with Mycoplasma bovis, a pathogen of growing concern to the dairy industry. Ten Holstein cows were each infused in 1 quarter with M. bovis and studied for a 10-d period. Acute phase protein synthesis, which reflects 1 parameter of the systemic response to infection, was induced within 108 h of infection, as evidenced by increased circulating concentrations of lipopolysaccharide binding protein and serum amyloid A. Transient neutropenia was observed from 84 to 168 h postinfection, whereas a constant state of lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia was observed from 84 h until the end of the study. Milk somatic cell counts initially increased within 66 h of M. bovis infusion and remained elevated, relative to control (time 0) concentrations, for the remainder of study. Increased milk concentrations of BSA, which reflect increased permeability of the mammary epithelial-endothelial barrier, were evident within 78 h of infection and were sustained from 90 h until the end of the study. Milk concentrations of several cytokines, including IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-10, IL-12, tumor growth factor-alpha, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, were elevated in response to infection over a period of several days, whereas increases in milk IL-8 were of a more limited duration. Complement activation, reflected by increased milk concentrations of complement factor 5a, was also observed over several days. Despite the indication by these observed changes that the cows mounted a prolonged inflammatory response to M. bovis intramammary infection, all quarters remained infected throughout the study with persistently high concentrations of this bacterium. Thus, a sustained inflammatory response is not sufficient to eradicate M. bovis from the mammary gland and may reflect the ongoing struggle of the host to clear this persistent pathogen.

Purification of porcine beta-casein, N-terminal sequence, quantification in mastitic milk.

The objectives of the study were to purify porcine beta-casein from sow's milk, to determine N-terminal amino acid sequence, to develop specific antisera against porcine beta-casein, and to use that antisera to evaluate milk samples from a mastitis study. Milk was collected by hand milking a Yorkshire by Duroc crossbred sow following oxytocin administration on d 27 of lactation. A casein-enriched fraction was then prepared by iso-electric precipitation. Porcine beta-casein was then purified by liquid chromatography on a Mono Q anion-exchange column, and checked for purity with SDS-PAGE. An apparent molecular weight of 29,000 Da was estimated from SDS-PAGE. N-Terminal amino acid sequence was determined by Edman degradation to be RAKEELNASGETVE. Rabbits (n = 2) were immunized with beta-casein mixed with Freund's complete (primary) or incomplete (boosters) adjuvant at 4-wk intervals. Antiserum collected from one rabbit 112 d after primary immunization detected 30 to 100 ng beta-casein by Western blot procedure when used at a dilution of 1:2 x 10(6). The antiserum was specific for porcine beta-casein, but showed some cross-reactivity with equine casein. It was determined by Western blot procedure that mammary inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide infusion resulted in a 41% decrease in the beta-casein concentration of sow milk.

Fate of dietary perchlorate in lactating dairy cows: Relevance to animal health and levels in the milk supply.

Perchlorate is a goitrogenic anion that competitively inhibits the sodium iodide transporter and has been detected in forages and in commercial milk throughout the U.S. The fate of perchlorate and its effect on animal health were studied in lactating cows, ruminally infused with perchlorate for 5 weeks. Milk perchlorate levels were highly correlated with perchlorate intake, but milk iodine was unaffected, and there were no demonstrable health effects. We provide evidence that up to 80% of dietary perchlorate was metabolized, most likely in the rumen, which would provide cattle with a degree of refractoriness to perchlorate. Data presented are important for assessing the environmental impact on perchlorate concentrations in milk and potential for relevance to human health.