Circulating amino acids in blood plasma during the peripartal period in dairy cows with different liver functionality index

Abstract

The liver functionality index (LFI) measures the changes of albumin, cholesterol, and bilirubin concentrations between 3 and 28 d postpartum. This composite index, based on variables with direct relevance to liver-specific plasma protein synthesis (albumin), hepatic/intestinal lipoprotein synthesis (cholesterol), and clearance of breakdown products of heme catabolism (bilirubin), provides a tool for evaluating manifestations of hepatic disease. Both energy and protein metabolism are likely to be affected by various physiological challenges in this period but have not been tested systematically. The present study was conducted to profile AA in cows with high or low LFI during the peripartal period and relate this to production outcomes. Eighteen multiparous cows were used from -21 through 28 d around parturition and divided retrospectively into the high or low LFI group. Blood samples were obtained on -21, -14, -7, 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, and 28 d relative to calving, and biomarkers and AA in plasma were measured. Grouping based on LFI resulted in 8 cows with high LFI (HLFI) and 10 cows with low LFI (LLFI). Although the temporal response in dry matter intake (DMI, 16.3 kg/d) and body condition score (2.56) did not differ, cows with high compared with low LFI had greater overall milk production (37.9 vs. 32.9 kg/d) although energy-corrected milk yield did not differ (42.6 vs. 38.7 kg/d). As expected, cows grouped as LLFI had lower cholesterol and albumin but greater bilirubin after calving compared with HLFI animals. Despite similar temporal responses in DMI between groups, concentrations of total AA were greater in HLFI, particularly after calving. Although concentrations of total essential AA (EAA) and branched-chain AA did not differ with LFI status, cows in HLFI had greater concentrations of Thr and Ile postpartum. Nearly all plasma AA concentrations followed the general trend of a nadir at 1d after calving followed by a gradual increase to prepartal levels before 28 d. Glycine was the only AA exhibiting a gradual increase in concentration through the transition, with a maximum at 7d postpartum followed by a gradual decrease. We detected no effect of LFI status on plasma Lys, which decreased markedly from -21d to calving, followed by an increase to prepartal values by d7. In contrast, concentrations of Met and His decreased markedly between -21 and 10d and did not reach prepartal values by 28 d. The marked decrease in Gln concentration after calving regardless of LFI might compromise immune function during this period. Overall, the results indicate the existence of an association among inflammation, liver function postpartum, and AA plasma concentrations, irrespective of temporal differences in DMI. Cows with better indices of liver function produced more milk and maintained greater concentrations of total AA and some EAA such as Thr and Ile. Whether these AA played a direct role in the greater milk production remains to be determined.

049 Physiological and molecular mechanisms associated with performance, immunometabolic status, and liver function in transition dairy cows fed rumen-protected methionine or choline

“…In addition, rodent research revealed that limiting MET and CHOL in ketogenic diets increased expression of fatty acid oxidation and inflammatory genes, supporting a potential role of MET and CHOL supplementation on ketosisrelated inflammation (Pissios et al, 2013). In agreement with this, MET-supplemented cows experienced fewer cases of ketosis and had greater plasma concentrations of albumin, cholesterol (index of lipoproteins) and lower haptoglobin (Zhou et al, 2016a, Zhou et al, 2016c, suggesting MET supplementation had direct bearing on the lower inflammatory status in HLFI cows. In contrast, CHOL supplementation was not associated with changes in the incidence of ketosis or plasma albumin, cholesterol, and haptoglobin concentrations.…”

“…The fact that supplementation of carnosine in nonruminants was able to rescue prooxidant-antioxidant balance by restoring depleted levels of blood GSH and activities of antioxidant enzymes (Aydin et al, 2010) indicates the potential decrease in circulating carnosine in events of oxidative stress. Although the contribution of carnosine to restore prooxidant-antioxidant balance under physiologic (without carnosine supplementation) conditions remains unknown, the overall greater circulating carnosine together with greater circulating taurine as well as hepatic GSH reported previously (Zhou et al, 2016a) indicate a less pronounced oxidative stress status in response to periparturient MET supplementation.…”

“…Although it is possible to assess changes in metabolic and inflammatory status in response to feed additive supplementation (Batistel et al, 2016, Osorio et al, 2016, Zhou et al, 2016a, Zhou et al, 2016c, the cost and time needed to obtain results make it a less desirable approach for evaluating effectiveness of feed additives. In addition, due to differences in nutrition and management strategies among farms, variation in effectiveness of such feed additives are commonly observed even among research conducted in well-controlled environments , Chen et al, 2011, Leiva et al, 2015.…”

Prepartum body condition score and plane of nutrition affect the hepatic transcriptome during the transition period in grazing dairy cows

“…The main affected gene (FC < −3, Additional file 8: Table S5) for both the catabolic and anabolic branches of the BCAA pathway at 7 d postpartum was BCAT1 (Branched Chain Amino-Acid Transaminase 1, Cytosolic), which can catalyze both the deamination and amination of BCAA and related keto-acids. Recently, a higher postpartum plasma concentration of BCAA (specifically Val and Iso) in TMR-fed dairy cows was linked to greater liver function and a possible better responsiveness of the immune system [68]. In the present study, plasma AA data were not collected, but it is plausible that an increase in hepatic BCAA biosynthesis in B5F75 cows led to similar results, indicating how feed restriction would be more appropriate for optimally-conditioned cows.…”

Butafosfan e cianocobalamina: estratégia para melhorar a funcionalidade hepática de vacas leiteiras primíparas

“…Nestas condições de sobrecarga hepática, o fígado modifica seu padrão normal de síntese, tornando-se menos eficiente metabolicamente (Bobe et al 2004), por isso alternativas que melhorem a funcionalidade hepática poderiam garantir uma melhor perfomance do fígado para enfrentar os desafios do pós-parto. O índice de funcionalidade hepática (IFH) permite uma avaliação do organismo da vaca ao final do primeiro mês de lactação (Bertoni & Trevisi 2013;Zhou et al, 2016Zhou et al, e 2017 e tem sido utilizado para caracterizar a gravidade do estado inflamatório que os animais enfrentam nesse período. Sua determinação considera níveis séricos de três metabólitos hepáticos, albumina, colesterol e bilirrubina.…”