A randomized control trial to test the effect of pegbovigrastim treatment at dry-off on plasma and milk oxylipid profiles during early mammary gland involution and the postparturient period.

The early period of mammary gland involution is a critical juncture in the lactation cycle that can have significant effects on milk production and mammary gland health. Pegbovigrastim (PEG) administered 1 wk prior and on the day of parturition can enhance immune function and reduce the incidence of mastitis in the early postpartum period. Oxylipids are potent metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and are important mediators of inflammation.

Changes in biomarkers of metabolic stress during late gestation of dairy cows associated with colostrum volume and immunoglobulin content.

The objective of this observational study was to compare the metabolic status of dairy cows during the last 6 wk of gestation based on colostrum volume and immunoglobulin content. For this, healthy Holstein cows were randomly selected from 3 commercial herds in Michigan. In each farm, 4 cohorts of 21 cows (1 per season), stratified by parity, were enrolled (n = 228).

Anandamide Alters Barrier Integrity of Bovine Vascular Endothelial Cells during Endotoxin Challenge.

Vascular endothelial cells are crucial mediators of inflammation during infectious diseases, due to their ability to produce lipid-based inflammatory mediators and facilitate leukocyte migration and translocation to infected tissues. Mastitis is the costliest infectious disease in North America, with over two billion dollars in annual costs due to loss of milk production, medical treatment, and potential loss of the animal. Infections caused by coliform bacteria are particularly deleterious, causing a negative impact on cow well-being and a high mortality rate.

The Link Between 15-F-Isoprostane Activity and Acute Bovine Endothelial Inflammation Remains Elusive.

Modern dairy cattle suffer from increased incidence and severity of mastitis during major physiological transitions of the lactation cycle. Oxidative stress, a condition resulting from inadequate antioxidant defense against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, is a major underlying component of mastitis pathophysiology. Isoprostanes (IsoP) are molecules derived from cellular lipid membranes upon non-enzymatic interaction with reactive species during inflammation, and are regarded as highly sensitive and specific biomarkers of oxidative stress.

The Impact of N-Acetyl Cysteine and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle Antioxidants and Proteome in Fit Thoroughbred Horses.

Horses have one of the highest skeletal muscle oxidative capacities amongst mammals, which, combined with a high glycolytic capacity, could perturb redox status during maximal exercise. We determined the effect of 30 d of oral coenzyme Q10 and N-acetyl-cysteine supplementation (NACQ) on muscle glutathione (GSH), cysteine, ROS, and coenzyme Q10 concentrations, and the muscle proteome, in seven maximally exercising Thoroughbred horses using a placebo and randomized cross-over design. Gluteal muscle biopsies were obtained the day before and 1 h after maximal exercise.

Serum Vitamin D Is Associated with Antioxidant Potential in Peri-Parturient Cows.

Dairy cows experience increased oxidative stress during periods of transition such as at the cessation of lactation and around the periparturient period, thus increasing disease risk. Despite routine supplementation of transition cow diets with certain vitamins in an attempt to mitigate oxidative stress, there is no currently available data directly linking vitamin supplementation with antioxidant potential (AOP) in transition cows. The objective of this study was to determine the association between serum vitamins and biomarkers of oxidative stress in healthy cows.

Flunixin Meglumine Reduces Milk Isoprostane Concentrations in Holstein Dairy Cattle Suffering from Acute Coliform Mastitis.

Dysfunctional inflammation contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of coliform mastitis and the classical pro-inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is the target of medical intervention using the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) flunixin meglumine (FM). Inhibition of COX-2 by FM can decrease concentrations of pro-inflammatory fatty acid-based mediators called eicosanoids, providing antipyretic and analgesic effects in dairy cows suffering from coliform mastitis. However, approximately 50% of naturally occurring coliform mastitis with systemic involvement results in death of the animal, even with NSAID treatment.

Activity of sEH and Oxidant Status during Systemic Bovine Coliform Mastitis.

Bovine coliform mastitis presents treatment challenges because of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a promising therapeutic target in conditions characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress but has not been evaluated in cattle. We compared sEH activity and oxidant status in healthy Holstein dairy cows to those with systemic coliform mastitis ( = 5/group) using complementary approaches.

Inhibition of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid biosynthesis by vitamin E analogs in human and bovine cytochrome P450 microsomes.

Dairy cattle are predisposed to disease around the time of calving due to dysfunctional inflammatory responses. Oxylipids are lipid-derived mediators that regulate all aspects of the inflammatory response, and shifts in oxylipid profiles are correlated with disease risk. For example, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) is an oxylipid derived from cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450) found at significantly greater concentrations around calving and during clinical disease.

Rumination time around dry-off relative to the development of diseases in early-lactation cows.

Monitoring rumination time (RT) around the time of calving is an effective way of identifying cows at risk of disease in early lactation. However, this only allows for the identification of cows a few days before the onset of clinical signs; thus, effective preventive measures cannot be implemented. Recent research has suggested that biomarkers of immune and metabolic function measured at dry-off (DO) can predict higher disease risk in early lactation.

Oxidative Stress Compromises Lymphocyte Function in Neonatal Dairy Calves.

Dairy calves are unable to mount an effective immune response during their first weeks of life, which contributes to increased disease susceptibility during this period. Oxidative stress (OS) diminishes the immune cell capabilities of humans and adult cows, and dairy calves also experience OS during their first month of life. However, the impact that OS may have on neonatal calf immunity remains unexplored.

Isoprostanes in Veterinary Medicine: Beyond a Biomarker.

Oxidative stress has been associated with many pathologies, in both human and animal medicine. Damage to tissue components such as lipids is a defining feature of oxidative stress and can lead to the generation of many oxidized products, including isoprostanes (IsoP). First recognized in the early 1990s, IsoP are formed in numerous biological fluids and tissues, chemically stable, and easily measured by noninvasive means.

Serum retinol, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol as biomarkers for disease risk and milk production in periparturient dairy cows.

The effectiveness of using serum vitamin concentrations as biomarkers to predict diseases in dairy cows during the periparturient period is not well known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum β-carotene, retinol, and α-tocopherol concentrations and periparturient cow diseases in commercial dairies. We measured serum concentrations of these vitamin-active compounds at dry-off and during close-up (approximately 3 wk before calving) and early lactation (approximately 7 d post-calving), and we examined their association with clinical diseases in the first 30 d in milk.

Colostrum supplementation with n-3 fatty acids does not alter calf outcome on a healthy commercial farm.

Our objective was to supplement colostrum with n-3 fatty acids (FA) to provide anti-inflammatory mediators that may improve the immune response of neonatal calves. Elevated markers of inflammation have been associated with increased occurrence of calf disease in early life, thus decreasing animal productivity. We hypothesized that a colostrum supplement containing 60-mL of a 1:1 ratio fish:flaxseed oil blend with or without 200 mg of α-tocopherol might provide an advantageous start to early life by decreasing oxidative stress and regulating the inflammatory response.

Colostrum supplementation with n-3 fatty acids alters plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediators in newborn calves.

Calves may experience increased oxidative stress at birth through activation of metabolic and respiratory processes. Reducing oxidative stress may enhance calf viability in early life. Our objective was to determine the dose response to fish and flaxseed oil when supplemented in colostrum on concentrations of plasma fatty acid (FA), FA metabolites, and index of oxidative stress during the critical first week of life in calves to understand how supplementing n-3 FA may decrease oxidative stress.

Bovine leukemia virus detection and dynamics following experimental inoculation.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infects more than 40% of the United States cattle population and impacts animal health and production. Control programs aiming to reduce disease prevalence and incidence depend on the ability to detect the BLV provirus, anti-BLV antibodies, and differences in blood lymphocyte counts following infection. These disease parameters also can be indicative of long-term disease progression.

Postpartum meloxicam administration alters plasma haptoglobin, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and oxylipid concentrations in postpartum ewes.

Background: Postpartum inflammation is a natural and necessary response; however, a dysfunctional inflammatory response can be detrimental to animal productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (meloxicam) on ewe postpartum inflammatory response, ewe plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid and oxylipid concentrations, and lamb growth.

Results: After lambing, 36 Hampshire and Hampshire × Suffolk ewes were sequentially assigned within type of birth to control ( = 17) or meloxicam orally administered on d 1 and 4 of lactation (MEL; 90 mg,  = 19).

Multicenter Placebo-Controlled Randomized Study of Ethyl Pyruvate in Horses Following Surgical Treatment for ≥ 360° Large Colon Volvulus.

Identifying therapies that mitigate ischemic colonic injury and improve mucosal healing and intestinal viability are crucial to improving survival in horses with ≥360° large colon volvulus (LCV). Ethyl pyruvate is the ethyl ester of pyruvate with diverse pharmacologic effects that limit ischemic injury and hasten intestinal mucosal repair in preclinical rodents, sheep and swine models. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ethyl pyruvate on systemic indices of colon viability, expression of inflammatory genes in whole blood, morbidity and survival after surgical correction of LCV compared to controls.

20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid alters endothelial cell barrier integrity independent of oxidative stress and cell death.

Unregulated inflammation during bovine mastitis is characterized by severe mammary tissue damage with systemic involvement. Vascular dysfunction underlies tissue pathology because of concurrent oxidative stress mediated by several inflammatory mediators. We recently demonstrated increased production of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a cytochrome P450-derived (CYP) oxylipid that correlated with oxidative stress during severe bovine coliform mastitis.

Colostrum supplementation with n-3 fatty acids and α-tocopherol alters plasma polyunsaturated fatty acid profile and decreases an indicator of oxidative stress in newborn calves.

Our objective was to characterize the effects of supplementing newborn calves with n-3 fatty acids (FA) and α-tocopherol on blood lipid profiles and oxidant status in early life. Sixteen calves received 0 or 60 mL of 1:1 fish and flaxseed oil with 200 mg of α-tocopherol in 2.8 L of colostrum within 6 h after birth.

Prospects for predictive modeling of transition cow diseases.

Transition cow diseases can negatively impact animal welfare and reduce dairy herd profitability. Transition cow disease incidence has remained relatively stable over time despite monitoring and management efforts aimed to reduce the risk of developing diseases. Dairy cattle disease risk is monitored by assessing multiple factors, including certain biomarker test results, health records, feed intake, body condition score, and milk production.

Lipolysis modulates the biosynthesis of inflammatory lipid mediators derived from linoleic acid in adipose tissue of periparturient dairy cows.

Oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAM) are products of adipocyte lipolysis with the potential to modulate adipose tissue (AT) lipid metabolism and inflammation. In periparturient cows, linoleic acid is preferentially mobilized from AT during lipolysis by hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) compared with other polyunsaturated fatty acids. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions generate OXLAM from linoleic acid.

Arachidonic acid-derived hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids are positively associated with colon polyps in adult males: a cross-sectional study.

Oxylipids are potent lipid mediators associated with inflammation-induced colon carcinomas and colon tumor survival. Therefore, oxylipid profiles may be useful as novel biomarkers of colon polyp presence. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma non-esterified oxylipids and the presence of colon polyps.

Effects of Super Nutritional Hepatic Copper Accumulation on Hepatocyte Health and Oxidative Stress in Dairy Cows.

Concerns regarding excessive hepatic copper concentrations in dairy cows have increased. The objective of this study was to determine the association of hepatic copper concentrations with evidence of liver disease. Blood and liver samples were collected at the time of slaughter in cull dairy cows (n=100).

Omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid oxymetabolites modulate the inflammatory response of equine recombinant interleukin1β-stimulated equine synoviocytes.

Omega-3 fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation may have beneficial effects in certain chronic diseases, potentially including osteoarthritis. Favorable effects are attributed, in part, to downstream pro-resolving oxylipid metabolites. We investigated the role of n-3 PUFA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-derived oxylipids (docosanoids) on equine synoviocyte metabolism.