Effect of maternal late-gestation status on metabolic profile, health and immunity of dairy calves

• Autor(a) principal: Santos, Fernanda Carolina Ramos dos
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Texto Completo: https://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/10/10136/tde-06052021-083620/
• topic: Fatores maternos; Inflamação; Inflammation; Innate immune response; Maternal factors; Período de transição; Resposta imune inata; Transition period

Maternal status during the transition period can have carryover effects on several health and performance variables of Holstein dairy calves. However, the effects of maternal late gestation status on profile presented by dairy calves during the neonatal period are not well established. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal variables at the calving on the metabolism and immunity of dairy calves during the first month of life. Holstein cows (n=28) were blood sampled at calving. The mean of the results for the maternal variables [non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), glucose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, haptoglobin (Hp), iron, thoracic perimeter and body condition score (BCS)] was calculated and used as maternal factors. The 28 calves from these cows were subsequently divided into two groups according to their dams’ high or low degree of each factor. The responses of calves in each of these groups were compared throughout their first month of life. Calves were blood sampled following birth and at ~ 2, 7, 14 and 28 days of age by assessing of IgG levels, biochemical parameters, inflammatory status, and innate immunity response. At the same timepoints, the calves were evaluated clinically for diarrhea and other clinical indices. When compared when grouped as maternal groups of low or high glucose, a statistical difference was found only on D14 with calves from cows with higher blood glucose had a lower cholesterol concentration when compared with calves from dams with lower blood glucose. Inflammatory status also varied with calves born from dams with low NEFA had lower levels of haptoglobin (Hp) when compared to calves born to dams with high NEFA on D28. Calves from dams with low maternal albumin, low maternal cholesterol, and low maternal BCS had high levels of basal reactive oxygen species on D7 and D28. Calves from dams with low BCS also had neutrophils more reactive for S. aureus, S. hyicus, and E. coli, considering the AFU. The response ratio against S. aureus and S. hyicus was higher in the calves was born from the low maternal BCS. Collectively, these data suggest that prenatal exposure to different maternal factors may adversely affect metabolic, inflammatory and immune responses of the calves during the first month of life that could influence disease susceptibility and performance.