Cytokine and acute phase protein gene expression in repeated liver biopsies of dairy cows with a lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis.

A minimally invasive liver biopsy technique was tested for its applicability to study the hepatic acute phase response (APR) in dairy cows with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis. The hepatic mRNA expression profiles of the inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10, and the acute phase proteins serum amyloid A isoform 3 (SAA3), haptoglobin (Hp), and alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were determined by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Fourteen primiparous cows in mid lactation were challenged with 200 microg of LPS (n = 8) or NaCl solution (n = 6) in 1 front quarter. Six repeated liver biopsies were collected at -22, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 48 h relative to LPS challenge in 4 LPS-infused cows and 3 NaCl-infused cows. The remaining cows had 3 liver biopsies taken at -22, 9, and 48 h. Production data and clinical signs were recorded and white blood cell counts and somatic cell counts (SCC) were analyzed to investigate the effect of repeated liver biopsies and verify the LPS model. Plasma concentrations of TNF-alpha, SAA3, Hp, and AGP were determined for comparison with the liver expression data. Repeated liver biopsies had no effects on the production data, clinical signs, or APR of dairy cows. Compared with the NaCl-infused cows the LPS-infused cows responded to the LPS treatment by increased body temperature (38.6 +/- 0.1 vs. 39.4 +/- 0.1 degrees C), short-term leukopenia followed by leukocytosis (6.44 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.69 +/- 0.3 x 10(6) cells/mL), an increased SCC (log(10) 2.1 +/- 0.1 vs. log(10) 2.8 +/- 0.1 x 10(3) cells/mL), heart rate (76 +/- 1 vs. 93 +/- 1 beats/min), and respiratory rate (32 +/- 2 vs. 36 +/- 1 breaths/min) in the acute phase of the disease. The LPS treatment upregulated the hepatic expression of TNF-alpha (103 +/- 24 vs. 255 +/- 18 units), IL-1beta (37 +/- 23 vs. 296 +/- 18 units), IL-6 (8 +/- 17 vs. 122 +/- 12 units), and IL-10 (130 +/- 66 vs. 541 +/- 50 units), and SAA3 (64 +/- 36 vs. 128 +/- 28 units) and Hp (9 +/- 82 vs. 762 +/- 65 units) reaching maximum levels at 3 to 6 h and 9 to 12 h postinfusion, respectively. Plasma concentrations of TNF-alpha (nondetectable vs. 1.9 +/- 0.3 ng/mL), SAA (19.8 +/- 19.4 vs. 149.7 +/- 15.5 microg/mL) and Hp (71.4 +/- 143.7 vs. 1,013.8 +/- 111.5 microg/mL) were elevated in the LPS-infused cows at 4 to 12 h, 8 to 120 h, and 24 to 120 h postinfusion, respectively. The hepatic expression of AGP and the AGP plasma concentration remained unaltered in LPS-induced cows. In conclusion, a minimally invasive liver biopsy technique can be used for studying the hepatic APR in diseased cattle. Lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis resulted in a time-dependent production of inflammatory cytokines and SAA and Hp in the liver of dairy cows.

Enzyme activity and acute phase proteins in milk utilized as indicators of acute clinical E. coli LPS-induced mastitis.

The importance of non-visual and on-line monitoring of udder health increases as the contact between humans and animals decreases, for example, in robotic milking systems. Several indicator systems have been introduced commercially, and a number of techniques are currently in use. This study describes the kinetics of seven indigenous milk parameters for monitoring udder inflammation in an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin)-induced mastitis model. Proportional milk from LPS-infused quarters was compared with milk from parallel quarters, which were placebo-treated with sterile 0.9% NaCl solution. Somatic cell counts (SCCs), the acute phase proteins (APP), that is, milk amyloid A (MAA) and haptoglobin (Hp), and the enzymes N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and acid phosphatase (AcP) were measured at fixed intervals during the period from -2 to +5 days after LPS and NaCl infusions. All parameters responded significantly faster and were more pronounced to the LPS infusions compared with the NaCl infusions. All parameters were elevated in the proportional milk collected at the first milking 7 h after infusion and developed a monophasic response, except Hp and MAA that developed biphasic response. SCC, LDH, NAGase and Hp peaked at 21 h followed by AP, AcP and MAA peaking at 31 h with the highest fold changes seen for MAA (23 780×), LDH (126×), NAGase (50×) and Hp (16×). In the recovery phase, AP, AcP and Hp reached base levels first, at 117 h, whereas LDH, NAGase and MAA remained elevated following the pattern of SCC. Minor increases of the milk parameters were also seen in the neighboring (healthy) quarters. Distinction between inflamed and healthy quarters was possible for all the parameters, but only for a limited time frame for AP and AcP. Hence, when tested in an LPS mastitis model, the enzymes LDH, NAGase and AP in several aspects performed equally with SCC and APP as inflammatory milk indicators of mastitis. Furthermore, these enzymes appear potent in the assessment of a valuable time sequence of inflammation, a necessary ingredient in modeling of programs in in-line surveillance systems.