Long-term molecular adaptations in liver from high-producing dairy cows are virtually unknown. Liver from five Holstein cows was biopsied at -65, -30, -14, +1, +14, +28, and +49 days relative to parturition for transcript profiling using a microarray consisting of 7,872 annotated cattle cDNA inserts. More than 5,000 cDNA elements represented on the microarray were expressed in liver. From this ...

Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. This is the first in a three part review series on calf health from birth to weaning, focusing on preventive measures. The review considers both pre- and periparturient management factors influencing calf health, colostrum management in beef and dairy calves and further nutrition and weaning in dairy calves.

thirty two multiparous holstein cows were used in a randomized block design to investigate the effects of feeding diets included two different source of nonfiber carbohydrate during the transition period on dry matter intake (dmi), lactational performance, blood metabolites and parturitional characteristics. cows received total mixed rations containing either macaroni wastes(mw) or steam-flaked...

The periparturient relaxation of immunity (PPRI) against parasites in ewes has a nutritional basis. We investigated whether ewes experience a reduction in food intake (anorexia) during PPRI and if the magnitude of anorexia is affected by host production potential and dietary protein supplementation. We also investigated whether nematode infection is linked to plasma leptin concentrations in per...

The objectives were to determine the effect of dietary fish oil (FO) on uterine secretion of PGF2alpha, milk production, milk composition, and metabolic status during the periparturient period. Holstein cows were assigned randomly to diets containing FO (n = 13) or olive oil (OO, n = 13). Cows were fed prepartum and postpartum diets that provided approximately 200 g/d from 21 d before the expec...

The incidence and severity of mastitis can be high during the period of transition from pregnancy to lactation when dairy cattle are susceptible to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of mastitis by modifying the expression of proinflammatory genes. The overall goal of this study was to determine the relationship between critical antioxidant defense mechanisms ...

The predominant isomer of retinoic acid in the plasma of dairy cows during the periparturient period is 9,13-di-cis-retinoic acid. Because retinoic acids influence the activity of cells in a variety of tissues, including the immune system, the potential for this isomer to modulate the bovine immune system during the periparturient period must be considered. The present study examined the in vit...

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal nematode infection is a major challenge to the health and welfare of mammals. Although mammals eventually acquire immunity to nematodes, this breaks down around parturition, which renders periparturient mammals susceptible to re-infection and an infection source for their offspring. Nutrient supplementation reduces the extent of periparturient parasitism, but the und...

Two experiments were conducted, involving 68 third-litter sows and 20 first-litter gilts in Exp. 1 and 82 first-litter gilts in Exp. 2. On d 108 of gestation, the dams were moved into individual crates, stratified by parity and breed, and randomly assigned within strata, to one of two treatments: (1) fed a basal 16% protein corn-soybean meal diet, 1.8 and 2.7 kg once daily before farrowing and ...

A study was carried out on 117 smallholder dairy cattle herds in Kikuyu Division of Kiambu District Kenya between April 2004 and December 2004 to determine the incidence of periparturient conditions (downer cow syndrome, dystocia, milk fever and retained placenta among others) in smallholder dairy cattle herds and the associated factors (plausible predictor variables; age, parity and management...