Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Alpha-tocopherol is a potential diagnostic indicator of metabolic diseases in early lactation dairy cows

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α-tocopherol is a potential diagnostic indicator of metabolic diseases in early lactation dairy cows

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/jw827g244

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  • Milk fever (MF), retained placenta (RP), and left displaced abomasum (LDA) are three common and costly metabolic diseases in cows during the first days of lactation. Some studies suggest that circulating concentrations of α-tocopherol (ATOC) are decreased by these three diseases. It is, however, unknown if and how long lower circulating ATOC precede and/or remain after recovery from these three diseases. The hypothesis or the thesis is that lower serum ATOC concentrations precede and persist in cows after MF, RP and LDA. The objective of the thesis is to examine the association between MF, RP, and LDA and serum concentrations of ATOC, metabolites, refore, the hypothesis of this project was to compare with healthy cows, lower serum ATOC concentration precede and persist in cows after MF, RP and LDA. Using a nested case-control study design, the relationship between the incidence of those three diseases and serum concentrations of ATOC, metabolites, acute phase proteins, and minerals, measured at day -21, -14, -7, -3, -1, 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 postpartum, was evaluated in multiparous Holstein cows. In chapter 2, serum concentrations of ATOC, metabolites, acute phase proteins, and minerals of 7 multiparous Holstein cows diagnosed with LDA between day 6 and 32 postpartum were compared with 10 healthy Holstein cows. Besides indicators of negative energy balance and inflammation, lower serum ATOC concentrations preceded LDA and persisted after LDA correction. At the last blood sampling before LDA diagnosis, cows had 45% lower serum ATOC concentrations (5.0 ± 0.9 vs. 9.1 ± 0.9 μM; P = 0.004) and 39% lower ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios (1.90 ± 0.19 vs. 3.09 ± 0.26; P = 0.003) compared with healthy cows. Serum ATOC concentrations remained lower (<10 vs. ~15 μM) in cows that had LDA up to day 49 postpartum (all P < 0.03). In chapter 3, serum concentrations of ATOC, metabolites, acute phase proteins, and minerals of 32 multiparous Holstein cows with retained fetal membranes for more than 24 h were compared with those of 32 diseased cows and those of 32 visually healthy cows. Besides indicators of negative energy balance and inflammation, cows that developed RP had prepartum 30% lower prepartal serum ATOC concentrations (8.7 ± 0.6 vs. 12.5 ± 0.6 μM; P< 0.001) and 23% lower ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios (3.12 vs. 4.03 μM/mM; P< 0.001) compared with visually healthy cows. These group differences were already significant three weeks before calving for ATOC concentrations (8.3 ± 0.7 vs. 11.9± 0.7 μM; P< 0.001) and ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios (2.68 vs. 3.66 μM/mM; P = 0.001). Up to day 28 postpartum, serum ATOC concentrations remained lower in RP than in visually healthy cows (<10 vs. ~13 μM; all P < 0.001). Serum ATOC concentrations and ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios did not differ between diseased cows with RP than with other diseases. In chapter 4, serum concentrations of ATOC, metabolites, acute phase proteins, and minerals of 9 multiparous Holstein cows with serum calcium concentrations below 6 mg/dl and being treated for milk fever within the first 48 hpostpartum were compared with those of 10 healthy cows and with those of 31 diseased cows with serum calcium concentrations above 6 mg/dL in the first 48 hpostpartum Besides indicators of negative energy balance and inflammation, cows that later developed MF had 37% lower prepartal serum ATOC concentrations (9.0 ± 0.9 vs. 14.2 ± 0.8 μM; P< 0.001) and 35% lower ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios (3.08 vs. 4.78 μM/mM; P< 0.001) compared with healthy cows. These group differences were already significant three weeks before calving for ATOC concentrations (8.3 ± 0.9 vs. 13.8 ± 0.8 μM; P< 0.001) and ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios (2.86 vs. 4.18 μM/mM; P = 0.003). Up to day 28 postpartum, serum ATOC concentrations remained lower in MF than in healthy cows (<9 vs. ~13 μM; all P < 0.002). Serum ATOC concentrations and ATOC to cholesterol molar ratios did not differ between diseased cows with MF than with other diseases. In summary, depleted serum ATOC concentrations preceded the three investigated metabolic diseases (MF, RP, and LDA). Thus, lower serum ATOC concentrations maybe a potential diagnostic indicator for metabolic diseases in multiparous dairy cows during early lactation. Serum ATOC concentrations remained lower than in healthy cows for several wk after disease treatment. The focus of future studies will be if and how vitamin E alimentation may prevent or improve response to conventional treatments of metabolic diseases in multiparous cows.
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