Project description:The aim of this study was to determine the effects of linseed dietary supplementation on gene expression in the mammary gland of grazing dairy cows. Milk composition and gene expression in the mammary gland tissue were evaluated in dairy cows supplemented with linseed. The linseed supplementation improves the health and nutrition quality aspects of dairy milk, but also affects the gene networks expression signature associated with cellular growth and proliferation, cell-death, signalling, nutrient metabolism, and immune response, and in turn, the mammary gland integrity and health.
Project description:The aim of this study was to determine the effects of unprotected dietary unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) from different plant oils on gene expression in the mammary gland of grazing dairy cows. Milk composition and gene expression in the mammary gland tissue were evaluated in grazing dairy cows supplemented with different unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). The UFA supplementation improves the health and nutrition quality aspects of dairy milk, but also affects the gene networks expression signature associated with cellular growth and proliferation, cell-death, signalling, nutrient metabolism, and immune response, and in turn, the mammary gland integrity and health. A total of 28 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in mid-lactation were blocked according to parity (2.4 ± 0.63 years), days in milk (DIM; 153 ± 32.8 days), milk yield (25.7 ± 3.08 kg/d) and fat content (4.3 ± 0.12%). Cows were then randomly assigned to four UFA-sources based on rapeseed, soybean, linseed or a mixture of the three oils for 23 days (Period I) after which, all 28 cows were switched to a control diet for an additional 28 days (Period II). On the last day of both periods, mammary gland biopsies were taken to study genome-wide differences in lipid metabolism gene expression.
Project description:The severity of negative energy balance (NEB) in high-producing dairy cows has a high incidence among health diseases. The periparturient period is crucial for the health status and reproductive performance of dairy cows. During this period, dairy cows experience a transition from a pregnant, non-lactating state to a non-pregnant, lactating state. At the beginning of lactation, the energy needs for milk production are higher than the available energy consumed from feed intake, resulting in a negative energy balance (NEB)]. While in a NEB, cows mobilise their reserves from adipose tissue, resulting in elevated plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), which are used as a fuel source by peripheral tissues and the mammary gland for milk fat synthesis. Thus, white adipose tissue is one of the main tissue involved in the energy production during this transition period. So the objectives of our study were to dentify mRNA differentially expressed in white adipose before and after calving in dairy cow fed with low (LE) and high (HE) energy diet.
Project description:The aim of this study was to determine the effects of linseed dietary supplementation on gene expression in the mammary gland of grazing dairy cows. Milk composition and gene expression in the mammary gland tissue were evaluated in dairy cows supplemented with linseed. The linseed supplementation improves the health and nutrition quality aspects of dairy milk, but also affects the gene networks expression signature associated with cellular growth and proliferation, cell-death, signalling, nutrient metabolism, and immune response, and in turn, the mammary gland integrity and health. The experiment was carried out in a complete randomized blocked designed structure comprising 14 Holstein-Friesian cows (6 second parity, 2 third parity and 6 older cows), selected from a 550-cow herd. Cows were paired in 7 blocks on the basis of similarity in parity (second parity, third parity and older cows), expected date of calving, and milk performance in the previous lactation (in order of priority). Cows within each block were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups, “Omega” or “Control”. The dietary Omega treatment consisted of a basal diet supplemented with a concentrate-mixture including linseed on a dry matter (DM) basis, whereas cows in treatment group Control were supplemented with a concentrate mixture without linseed. Linseed was chosen because it is rich in c9,c12,c15-18:3 (ALA). Concentrate mixtures were fed with a concentrate dispenser. Experimental treatments started 3 weeks before the expected calving date (wk -3) and lasted until 6 weeks after calving (wk 6).
Project description:The aim of this study was to determine the effects of unprotected dietary unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) from different plant oils on gene expression in the mammary gland of grazing dairy cows. Milk composition and gene expression in the mammary gland tissue were evaluated in grazing dairy cows supplemented with different unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). The UFA supplementation improves the health and nutrition quality aspects of dairy milk, but also affects the gene networks expression signature associated with cellular growth and proliferation, cell-death, signalling, nutrient metabolism, and immune response, and in turn, the mammary gland integrity and health. SUBMITTER_CITATION: Mach, N., A. A. A. Jacobs, L. Kruijt, J. Van Baal, and M. A. Smits. 2011. Alteration of gene expression in mammary gland tissue of dairy cows in response to dietary unsaturated fatty acids. Animal.DOI:10.1017/S1751731111000103
Project description:Climate change affects the duration and intensity of heat waves during summer months and jeopardizes animal health and welfare. High ambient temperatures cause heat stress in dairy cows resulting in a reduction of milk yield, feed intake, and alterations in gut barrier function. The objectives of this study were to investigate the mucosal amino acid, glucose and lactate metabolism, as well as the proteomic response of the small intestine in heat stressed (HS) Holstein dairy cows. Cows of the HS group (n = 5) were exposed for 4 days to 28°C (THI = 76) in a climate chamber. Percentage decrease in daily ad libitum intake of HS cows was calculated to provide isocaloric energy intake to pair-fed control cows kept at 15°C (THI = 60) for 4 days. The metabolite, mRNA and proteomic analyses revealed that HS induced incorrect protein folding, cellular destabilization, increased proteolytic degradation and protein kinase inhibitor activity, reduced glycolysis, and activation of NF-κB signaling, uronate cycling, pentose phosphate pathway, fatty acid and amino acid catabolism, mitochondrial respiration, ATPase activity and the antioxidative defence system. Our results highlight adaptive metabolic and immune mechanisms attempting to maintain the biological function in the small intestine of heat-stressed dairy cows.
Project description:M. Berg, J. Plöntzke, S. Leonhard-Marek, K.E. Müller & S. Röblitz. A dynamic model to simulate potassium balance in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 100, 12 (2017).
High-performing dairy cows require a particular composition of nutritional ingredients, adapted to their individual requirements and depending on their production status. The optimal dimensioning of minerals in the diet, one being potassium, is indispensable for the prevention of imbalances. Potassium balance in cows is the result of potassium intake, distribution in the organism, and excretion, and it is closely related to glucose and electrolyte metabolism. In this paper, we present a dynamical model for potassium balance in lactating and nonlactating dairy cows based on ordinary differential equations. Parameter values were obtained from clinical trial data and from the literature. To verify the consistency of the model, we present simulation outcomes for 3 different scenarios: potassium balance in (1) nonlactating cows with varying feed intake, (2) nonlactating cows with varying potassium fraction in the diet, and (3) lactating cows with varying milk production levels. The results give insights into the short- and long-term potassium metabolism, providing an important step toward the understanding of the potassium network, the design of prophylactic feed additives, and possible treatment strategies.
Project description:Supplementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product modulates dairy cows health by reducing incidence and severity of mastitis, one of the most common and economically important diseases of the dairy industry. However, mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted a comprehensive molecular analysis, along with physiological data, on dairy cows supplemented for 45 days with NutriTek, a commercially available S. cerevisiae fermentation product, and then subjected to a mastitis challenge . NutriTek supplementation improved cow’s responses to a mastitis challenge by stimulating influx of immune cells to the mammary gland , enhancing their bactericidal capacity, and protecting mammary tissues from the side effect of an immune response allowing faster and more complete recovery from milk production drop
Project description:Heat stress (HS) has become a major challenge in the dairy industry around the world. Although numerous measures have been taken to alleviate the HS impact on milk production, the cellular level response to HS remains unclear in dairy cows. The objective of this study was to dissect functional alterations based on transcriptomic dynamics in the liver of cows under HS. Dairy cows exposed to HS exhibited both decreased feed intake and milk yield. Through liver transcriptomic analysis, differentially expressed genes were identified among three experimental conditions, including heat stress (HS), pair-fed (PF), and thermoneutral (TN) groups. We observed the upregulation of protein folding and inflammation-related genes in the HS group, while the mitochondrial genes were downregulated. Gene functional enrichment also revealed that mitochondria function and oxidative phosphorylation were dysregulated under HS. The liver transcriptome analysis generated a comprehensive gene expression regulation network upon HS in lactating dairy cows. Overall, this study provides novel insights into molecular and metabolic changes of cows conditioned under HS. Our results could facilitate the development of efficient biomarkers to mitigate the negative effect of HS on dairy cow health and productivity.