title: A radio transmission pH measurement system for continuous evaluation of fluid pH in the rumen of cows.
abstract: We developed a novel wireless radio transmission pH measurement system to continuously monitor ruminal bottom pH in cows, and compared these measurements to pH values determined by a spot-sample method. The wireless system consists of a pH sensor, data measurement receiver, relay unit, and personal computer with special software. The bullet-shaped sensor can be easily administered orally via a catheter into the rumen, without surgery. The glass electrode, using a temperature compensation system, can detect the rumen fluid pH with high accuracy. The ruminal bottom pH in healthy rumen-fistulated cows was measured as 6.52 ± 0.18 by the wireless system and as 6.62 ± 0.20 by the spot-sample method; with a correlation between pH measurements using these different methods (n = 8, 24 samples, r = 0.952, P < 0.01). When measured serially in a cow fed a diet evoking rumen acidosis, the ruminal bottom pH decreased markedly following the morning feeding and then increased gradually by the next morning feeding. This wireless system is a ready-to-use tool for estimating circadian changes in ruminal bottom pH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka 020-8550, Japan. sshigeru@iwate-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anan
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizuguchi
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003612:Dairying; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012417:Rumen / Q000737:chemistry*; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*