Effects of supplementation with ruminally protected choline on performance of multiparous Holstein cows did not depend upon prepartum caloric intake

Abstract

Objectives were to evaluate the effect of prepartum energy intake on performance of dairy cows supplemented with or without ruminally protected choline (RPC; 0 or 17.3 g/d of choline chloride; 0 or 60 g/d of ReaShure, Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY). At 47 ± 6 d before the expected calving date, 93 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Cows were fed energy to excess [EXE; 1.63 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter (DM)] or to maintenance (MNE; 1.40 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of DM) in ad libitum amounts throughout the nonlactating period. The RPC was top-dressed for 17 ± 4.6 d prepartum through 21 d postpartum (PP). After calving, cows were fed the same methionine-balanced diet, apart from RPC supplementation, through 15 wk PP. Liver was biopsied at -14, 7, 14, and 21 d relative to parturition. Cows fed EXE or MNE diets, respectively, consumed 40 or 10% more Mcal/d than required at 15 d before parturition. Cows fed the MNE compared with the EXE diet prepartum consumed 1.2 kg/d more DM postpartum but did not produce more milk (41.6 vs. 43.1 kg/d). Thus, PP cows fed the EXE diet prepartum were in greater mean negative energy balance, tended to have greater mean concentrations of circulating insulin, fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyrate, and had greater triacylglycerol in liver tissue (8.3 vs. 10.7% of DM) compared with cows fed the MNE diet prepartum. Cows fed RPC in transition tended to produce more milk (43.5 vs. 41.3 kg/d) and energy-corrected milk (44.2 vs. 42.0 kg/d) without increasing DM intake (23.8 vs. 23.2 kg/d) during the first 15 wk PP, and tended to produce more milk over the first 40 wk PP (37.1 vs. 35.0 kg/d). Energy balance of cows fed RPC was more negative at wk 2, 3, and 6 PP, but mean circulating concentrations of fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate did not differ from those of cows not fed RPC. Despite differences in energy balance at 2 and 3 wk PP, mean concentration of hepatic triacylglycerol did not differ between RPC treatments. Feeding RPC reduced the daily prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia from 25.5 to 10.5%, as defined by concentrations of total Ca of <8.0 mg/dL in serum in the first 7 d PP. Pregnancy at first artificial insemination tended to be greater for cows fed RPC (41.3 vs. 23.6%), but the proportion of pregnant cows did not differ by 40 wk PP. Heifers born from singleton calvings from cows fed RPC tended to experience greater daily gain between birth and 50 wk of age than heifers from cows not supplemented with RPC. Feeding RPC for approximately 38 d during the transition period tended to increase yield of milk for 40 wk regardless of amount of energy consumed during the pregnant, nonlactating period.

Responses to rumen-protected choline in transition cows do not depend on prepartum body condition

“…Data from 2 independent experiments conducted at the University of Florida were combined (Zenobi et al, 2018a;Bollatti et al, 2020a,b) into a single file for analyses. Details of cows, housing, diets, and general management are presented in the respective manuscripts.…”

Methionine and choline supply alter transmethylation, transsulfuration, and cytidine 5′-diphosphocholine pathways to different extents in isolated primary liver cells from dairy cows

“…Previous work with dairy cows has demonstrated a positive effect of Met supply during the periparturient period on health and production performance, including alleviation of inflammation and oxidative stress (Osorio et al, 2014b;Sun et al, 2016;Zhou et al, 2016aZhou et al, ,b, 2017Batistel et al, 2017Batistel et al, , 2018. In some, but not all (Zhou et al, 2016a,c;Zenobi et al, 2018), studies with rumen-protected Chol, lactation performance and antioxidant capacity and immune function of dairy cows has been improved (Zom et al, 2011;Lima et al, 2012;Sun et al, 2016). Although gene expression and enzyme activity data suggested that Chol supplementation did not alter Met synthesis (Zhou et al, 2017), a better assessment of underlying mechanisms is challenging to address in vivo.…”

“…The regulation and coordination of lipid metabolism (at molecular, enzyme, and metabolite level) among adipose tissue, liver, gut, and mammary gland are key components of the adaptations to lactation . Although several recent studies have enhanced the mechanistic understanding of the role of Met and Chol in the context of the physiology of the periparturient cow (Zhou et al, 2016a(Zhou et al, ,b, 2017Zenobi et al, 2018), studying mechanistic aspects of Met and Chol metabolism in liver in vivo becomes challenging.…”

Methyl donor supplementation suppresses the progression of liver lipid accumulation while modifying the plasma triacylglycerol lipidome in periparturient Holstein dairy cows

“…Liver lipid infiltration develops in peripartal dairy cows fed diets containing inadequate or adequate Met (Zhou et al, 2016b;Zenobi et al, 2018). A potential approach to mitigate fatty liver is dietary methyl donor supplementation (MDS).…”

“…Choline and Met are methyl donors that have received attention. Supplementation of rumen-protected (RP) choline chloride (11.7 to 14.4 g/d of choline ion) has been shown to increase serum total TAG (Guretzky et al, 2006) and decrease liver total TAG concentrations (Zom et al, 2011); however, these findings were not observed by others (Zahra et al, 2006;Zhou et al, 2016b;Zenobi et al, 2018). The abilities of RP-Met (Met at 0.07 to 0.10% ration DM) to mitigate hepatic lipid accrual are also inconsistent.…”