title: Short communication: A potential antiapoptotic phenotype in neutrophils of cows milked once daily in early lactation.
abstract: The objectives of this experiment were to compare the circulating concentrations of cortisol and determine whether these correlated with the expression profiles of a set of candidate apoptosis genes in neutrophils of Holstein-Friesian cows milked once vs. 3 times daily for 28 d postpartum. Cows on the once-daily milking regimen had significantly higher plasma cortisol concentrations on d 3, 14, and 28 postpartum than did those milked 3 times daily. On d 3 postpartum, when differences in cortisol and neutrophil counts were highest between the groups, mean mRNA abundance of nuclear factor kappaB p65 subunit, IkappaBalpha, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis; and heat shock protein 70 were higher in neutrophils of the cows milked once daily than in cows milked 3 times daily. However, no correlations were detected among plasma cortisol concentration, neutrophil count, or neutrophil gene expression in this study. Results suggest that the modest neutrophilia associated with once daily milking of cows immediately postpartum may be related to modifications in the cells' apoptotic program by factors other than cortisol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Husbandry and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland. torres.sweeney@ucd.ie
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hanlon
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mee
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: O'Doherty
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood*; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D006854:Hydrocortisone