The rapid increase of circulating adiponectin in neonatal calves depends on colostrum intake

Abstract

Adiponectin, an adipokine, regulates metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Considering that the transplacental transfer of maternal proteins of high molecular weight is hindered in ruminants, this study tested the hypothesis that the blood concentration of adiponectin in neonatal calves largely reflects their endogenous synthesis whereby the intake of colostrum might modify the circulating concentrations. We thus characterized the adiponectin concentrations in neonatal and young calves that were fed either colostrum or formula. Three trials were performed: in trial 1, 20 calves were all fed colostrum for 3 d, and then formula until weaning. Blood samples were collected on d 0 (before colostrum feeding), and on d 1, 3, 11, 22, 34, 43, 52, 70, 90, and 108 postnatum. In trial 2, 14 calves were studied for the first 4 d of life. They were fed colostrum (n=7) or formula (n=7), and blood samples were taken right after birth and before each morning feeding on d 2, 3, and 4. In trial 3, calves born preterm (n=7) or at term received colostrum only at 24 h postnatum. Blood was sampled at birth, and before and 2 h after feeding. Additionally, allantoic fluid and blood from 4 Holstein cows undergoing cesarean section were sampled. Adiponectin was quantified by ELISA. In trial 1, the serum adiponectin concentrations recorded on d 3 were 4.7-fold higher than before colostrum intake. The distribution of the molecular weight forms of adiponectin differed before and after colostrum consumption. In trial 2, the colostrum group had consistently greater plasma adiponectin concentrations than the formula group after the first meal. In trial 3, the preterm calves tended to have lower concentrations of plasma adiponectin than the term calves at birth and before and 2 h after feeding. Furthermore, the adiponectin concentrations were substantially lower in allantoic fluid than in the sera from neonatal calves and from cows at parturition. Our results show that calves are born with very low blood concentrations of adiponectin and placental transfer of adiponectin to the bovine fetus is unlikely. In conclusion, colostrum intake is essential for the postnatal increase of circulating adiponectin in newborn calves.

Effects of colostrum instead of formula feeding for the first 2 days postnatum on whole-body energy metabolism and its endocrine control in neonatal calves

“…However, postprandial time changes in plasma leptin and adiponectin after first feed intake behaved differently-both hormones increased after first colostrum feeding-showing the same postprandial time pattern as that observed for plasma concentrations of total protein and immunoglobulins. Both hormones are highly concentrated in first colostrum (Kesser et al, 2015(Kesser et al, , 2017, and the absorption of adiponectin from first colostrum was recently shown in neonatal calves (Kesser et al, 2015). Leptin absorption from colostrum was less clear in previous studies, but an elevated plasma concentration of leptin was also associated with colostrum feeding (Blum et al, 2005;Schäff et al, 2014;Kesser et al, 2017).…”

“…Absorption of colostral leptin occurs in rats and humans (Szymeczko et al, 2009;Woliński et al, 2014;Palou et al, 2018). Previous studies indicated lower leptin and adiponectin concentrations in milk or milk-based formulas than in colostrum (Kesser et al, 2015(Kesser et al, , 2017. The lack of time changes in leptin and adiponectin in blood plasma of formula-fed calves on d 1 of life makes it very clear that the increase in leptin and adiponectin plasma concentrations after first colostrum feeding resulted from intestinal absorption of both hormones and that both hormones behaved differently than colostral IGF-I.…”

“…On the other hand, the systemic effects of colostral IGF-I or insulin were denied because studies could not detect a significant intestinal absorption of colostral IGF-I or insulin in neonatal calves (Grütter and Blum, 1991;Vacher et al, 1995;Sparks et al, 2003) or piglets (Donovan et al, 1997). However, recent studies in neonatal calves indicated systemic availability of colostral adiponectin (Kesser et al, 2015). The effect of colostral adiponectin on metabolic development in neonatal calves is not yet clear, but adiponectin may influence neonatal energy metabolism by affecting insulin action (Havel, 2002;Yamauchi and Kadowaki, 2013).…”

Endocrine and metabolic changes in transition dairy cows are affected by prepartum infusions of a serotonin precursor

“…8019, Quidel MicroVue, San Diego, CA). Serum adiponectin concentration was measured by ELISA as described by Kesser et al (2015). Serum leptin concentration was measured by ELISA as described by Sauerwein et al (2004), and haptoglobin (Hp) concentration was measured in serum by enzyme immunoassay as described by Hiss et al (2009).…”

Effects of colostrum whey on immune function in the digestive tract of goats

“…In addition, postprandial insulin concentration in the plasma after the first colostrum feeding was significantly higher in calves that were fed colostrum immediately after birth than in calves that were fed colostrum 24 hr after birth. In neonatal calves, the concentration of adiponectin, which has insulin‐sensitizing effects, rapidly increased 24 hr after colostrum intake, although this did not change after feeding with formula (Kesser et al., ). These reports strongly suggest that colostrum has a pivotal role in the growth of the neonate.…”