Honors College Thesis
 

Effects of Selenium Supplementation During Different Trimesters of Pregnancy on the Antibody Titer Against E. coli in Beef Cows at Parturition

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  • Background: Selenium’s (Se) effect on cattle health relies, in part, on the biosynthesis of selenoproteins (SEP), which in turn perform antioxidant activities and protect tissues against harmful mediators produced during infectious diseases. Selenoproteins comprise a small group of selenocysteine (Sec) containing proteins that are involved in redox homeostasis. Selenium supplementation has been shown to enhance immune responses, improve phagocytosis, and prevent cell membrane lipid peroxidation caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Less is known how monocytes are affected by Se supplementation, or how Se affects humoral immunity of cattle. Objective: Our objective is to prevent diseases in parturient cattle via supplementation of supra-nutritional concentrations of Se-yeast to optimize humoral immune function. Additionally, we hope to find the optimal trimester during pregnancy to supplement cows with Se-yeast to enhance anti-inflammatory responses and serum antibody titers against E. coli at parturition. Procedures: Pregnant Angus and Angus-cross cows were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups. All cows had free-choice access to a mineral supplement containing 120 mg Se/kg from sodium selenite. The control group received no additional Se-yeast supplementation. Treatment (TR) groups one, two, and three received additional organic Se-yeast (105 mg administered orally for 13 weeks) during the corresponding pregnancy trimester [TR1, TR2, TR3]. In the third trimester of pregnancy, all cows were vaccinated with ScourGuard® 4KC vaccine. Serum was collected and the E. coli titer was measured using an indirect ELISA procedure. Results: More variability was found within plate samples than between plates. There was no statistical significance between the experimental treatment groups [TR1, TR2, TR3] (p > 0.05). Additionally, variances in the distributions of titers in each experimental group were not significant (p > 0.05). When comparing whole blood Se (WB-Se) concentrations in experimental groups at parturition, TR3 had the highest WB-Se concentrations (p < 0.0001). Clinical Relevance: WB-Se levels were depleted over time such that cows supplemented with supranutritional concentrations of Se-yeast in earlier trimesters had lower WB-Se concentrations at parturition. There was no association between the trimester of Se supplementation and E. coli antibody titer in the current study, even though WB-Se concentrations were higher for TR3 cows. We speculate that supranutritional Se-yeast supplementation paired with a more specific J5 E. coli vaccine administered in TR3 would result in higher serum antibody titers measured by this indirect ELISA in beef cows at parturition.
  • Keywords: Cattle; E. coli antibody titers; Humoral immunity; Parturition; Selenium; Selenium-yeast; Selenomethionine
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