title: Effects of weekly regrouping of prepartum dairy cows on innate immune response and antibody concentration.
abstract: Objectives were to evaluate the effects of a stable prepartum grouping strategy on innate immune parameters, antibody concentration, and cortisol and haptoglobin concentrations of Jersey cows. Cows (253±3 d of gestation) were paired by gestation length and assigned randomly to the stable (all-in-all-out; AIAO) or traditional (TRD) treatment. In the AIAO treatment, groups of 44 cows were moved into a pen where they remained for 5 wk, whereas in the TRD treatment, approximately 10 cows were moved into a pen weekly to maintain stocking density (44 cows for 48 headlocks). Pens were identical in size and design and each pen received each treatment a total of 3 times (6 replicates; AIAO, n=259; TRD, n=308). A subgroup of cows (n=34/treatment) was selected on wk 1 of each replicate from which blood was sampled weekly from d -14 to 14 (d 0=calving) to determine polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and expression of CD18 and L-selectin, hemogram, cortisol and glucose concentrations, and haptoglobin concentration. Another subgroup of cows (n=40/treatment) selected on wk 1 of each replicate was treated with chicken egg ovalbumin on d -21, -7, and 7 and had blood sampled weekly from d -21 to 21 for determination of immunoglobulin G anti-ovalbumin. All cows (n=149) had blood sampled weekly for nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations from d -21 to 21. Treatment did not affect percentage of PMNL positive for phagocytosis and oxidative burst (AIAO=64.3±2.9 vs. TRD=64.3±2.9%) and intensity of phagocytosis [AIAO=2,910.82±405.99 vs. TRD=2,981.52±406.87 geometric mean fluorescence intensity (GMFI)] and oxidative burst (AIAO=7,667.99±678.29 vs. TRD=7,742.70±682.91 GMFI). Similarly, treatment did not affect the percentage of PMNL expressing CD18 (AIAO=96.3±0.7 vs. TRD=97.8±0.7%) and L-selectin (AIAO=44.1±2.8 vs. TRD=45.1±2.8%) or the intensity of expression of CD18 (AIAO=3,496.2±396.5 vs. TRD=3,598.5±396.9 GMFI) and L-selectin (AIAO=949.8±22.0 vs. TRD=940.4±22.3 GMFI). Concentration of immunoglobulin G anti-ovalbumin was not affected by treatment (AIAO=0.98±0.05 vs. TRD=0.98±0.05 OD). The percentage of leukocytes classified as granulocyte (AIAO=38.9±1.5 vs. TRD 38.2±1.5%) and the granulocyte:lymphocyte ratio (AIAO=0.75±0.04 vs. TRD=0.75±0.04) were not affected by treatment. Concentrations of cortisol (AIAO=14.95±1.73 vs. TRD=18.07±1.73 ng/mL), glucose (AIAO=57.6±1.5 vs. TRD=60.0±1.5 ng/mL), and haptoglobin (AIAO=3.09±0.48 vs. TRD=3.51±0.49 OD) were not affected by treatment. According to the current experiment, a stable prepartum grouping strategy does not improve innate immune parameters or antibody concentration compared with weekly prepartum regrouping.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, and; Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.
authors.forename: P R B
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: J G N
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: L G D
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Scanavez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ballou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walcheck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Endres
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chebel
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D002417:Cattle; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D019041:L-Selectin; D007774:Lactation
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D019041:L-Selectin; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid
keywords: dairy cow; immune response; regrouping