The effect of a single prolonged milking interval on inflammatory parameters, milk composition and yield in dairy cows.

A technical stop in automatic milking systems may result in a severely prolonged milking interval (PMI) with subsequent impact on milk somatic cell count (SCC). This study investigated the inflammatory reaction, milk composition and yield during SCC peak observed in composite milk after exposing cows to a single PMI of 24h. At the first milking after the PMI, a sharply increased proportion of milk polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) but marginally increased SCC were observed.

The xMAP technique can be used for detection of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in bovine samples.

Infectious diseases can cause large health problems in cattle. The infections cause an acute inflammatory response, mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. By mapping the pattern of cytokines during inflammations, valuable information about the course of an infection is gained.

Simultaneous detection of porcine proinflammatory cytokines using multiplex flow cytometry by the xMAP technology.

Background: Multiplex flow cytometry is in widespread use for detection of cytokines in human samples. However, no report on the measurement of porcine cytokines using this method has previously been published. We report on the detection of the porcine proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-8, and IL-1beta by the xMap-assay for multiplex flow cytometry.

Effects of diet energy density and milking frequency in early lactation on tumor necrosis factor-alpha responsiveness in dairy cows.

A whole blood stimulation assay (WBA) with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were established to measure the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in bovine plasma. The assays were used to study the effect of time around parturition, and diet energy density, and milking frequency on TNF-alpha responsiveness of dairy cows in early lactation. Forty cows were included in a 2 x 2 factorial block design.

Commercially available antibodies to human tumour necrosis factor-alpha tested for cross-reactivity with ovine and bovine tumour necrosis factor-alpha using flow cytometric assays.

A thorough understanding of the immune system, including the role of different cytokines, during inflammatory diseases in ruminants could lead to the development of new diagnostic methods and treatments. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important cytokine in the onset of the inflammatory responses. Unfortunately, the number of studies on cytokines, like TNF-alpha, in ruminants is limited due to a lack of species-specific reagents.