Diurnal variation of NMR based blood metabolites in calves fed a high plane of milk replacer: a pilot study.

Background: Blood profiles have been used to monitor herd health status, diagnose disorders, and predict the risk of diseases in cattle and calves. Characterizing plasma metabolites in dairy calves could provide further insight into daily metabolic variations and the mechanisms that lead to metabolic diseases. In addition, by understanding physiological ranges of plasma metabolites relative to meal and the time of feeding in healthy animals, veterinarians can accurately diagnose abnormalities with a blood test.

Lipid Emulsion Formulation of Parenteral Nutrition Affects Intestinal Microbiota and Host Responses in Neonatal Piglets.

Background: Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is a cause of intestinal microbial dysbiosis and impaired gut barrier function. This may contribute to life-threatening parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease and sepsis in infants. We compared the effects of a lipid emulsion containing long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; SMOFlipid) and a predominantly ω-6 PUFA emulsion (Intralipid) on microbial composition and host response at the mucosal surface.

A Mechanistic Model of Intermittent Gastric Emptying and Glucose-Insulin Dynamics following a Meal Containing Milk Components.

To support decision-making around diet selection choices to manage glycemia following a meal, a novel mechanistic model of intermittent gastric emptying and plasma glucose-insulin dynamics was developed. Model development was guided by postprandial timecourses of plasma glucose, insulin and the gastric emptying marker acetaminophen in infant calves fed meals of 2 or 4 L milk replacer. Assigning a fast, slow or zero first-order gastric emptying rate to each interval between plasma samples fit acetaminophen curves with prediction errors equal to 9% of the mean observed acetaminophen concentration.