title: Peripartal alterations of calcitonin gene-related peptide and minerals in dairy cows affected by milk fever.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Milk fever, a metabolic disease of dairy cattle, is associated with perturbations of calcium homeostasis, the pathogenesis of which is not yet completely understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate plasma concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide and selected minerals and metabolites in periparturient cows with and without milk fever.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide, as well as calcium, phosphate, magnesium, iron, glucose, lactate, and cortisol, were determined in multiple plasma samples from Jersey cows with and without spontaneous milk fever.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cows affected by milk fever (n = 5) had lower concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide (P = .038) and inorganic phosphate (P < .001) in plasma than did the controls (n = 5). Also, these cows tended to have lower calcium concentrations (P = .071). Magnesium, iron, lactate, glucose, and cortisol concentrations were comparable between both groups of cows (P > .10). Around the day of calving, plasma concentrations of lactate, glucose, and cortisol increased and the concentration of iron decreased in all cows (P ≤ .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the limited number of cows evaluated, this report is the first to indicate lowered concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide as part of the metabolic changes during milk fever in cows. Further work with a larger cohort of animals is warranted to understand the precise role of calcitonin gene-related peptide and the potential associations with disturbances in plasma minerals typically observed during milk fever.
authors: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,
authors: Qendrim
authors: Q
authors: Zebeli
authors: Donald C
authors: DC
authors: Beitz
authors: Barry J
authors: BJ
authors: Bradford
authors: Suzanna M
authors: SM
authors: Dunn
authors: Burim N
authors: BN
authors: Ametaj
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D008903:Minerals / Q000097:blood*; D010319:Parturient Paresis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D058725:Peripartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide