Endotoxin-induced alterations of adipose tissue function: a pathway to bovine metabolic stress

During the periparturient period, dairy cows exhibit negative energy balance due to limited appetite and increased energy requirements for lactogenesis. The delicate equilibrium between energy availability and expenditure puts cows in a state of metabolic stress characterized by excessive lipolysis in white adipose tissues (AT), increased production of reactive oxygen species, and immune cell dysfunction. Metabolic stress, especially in AT, increases the risk for metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Around parturition, cows are also susceptible to endotoxemia. Bacterial-derived toxins cause endotoxemia by promoting inflammatory processes and immune cell infiltration in different organs and systems while impacting metabolic function by altering lipolysis, mitochondrial activity, and insulin sensitivity. In dairy cows, endotoxins enter the bloodstream after overcoming the defense mechanisms of the epithelial barriers, particularly during common periparturient conditions such as mastitis, metritis, and pneumonia, or after abrupt changes in the gut microbiome. In the bovine AT, endotoxins induce a pro-inflammatory response and stimulate lipolysis in AT, leading to the release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream. When excessive and protracted, endotoxin-induced lipolysis can impair adipocyte's insulin signaling pathways and lipid synthesis. Endotoxin exposure can also induce oxidative stress in AT through the production of reactive oxygen species by inflammatory cells and other cellular components. This review provides insights into endotoxins' impact on AT function, highlighting the gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying AT dysfunction, its connection with periparturient cows' disease risk, and the need to develop effective interventions to prevent and treat endotoxemia-related inflammatory conditions in dairy cattle.

The Complex Interplay of Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Inflammation in Transition Dairy Cows

During the transition period, dairy cows exhibit heightened energy requirements to sustain fetal growth and lactogenesis. The mammary gland and the growing fetus increase their demand for glucose, leading to the mobilization of lipids to support the function of tissues that can use fatty acids as energy substrates. These physiological adaptations lead to negative energy balance, metabolic inflammation, and transient insulin resistance (IR), processes that are part of the normal homeorhetic adaptations related to parturition and subsequent lactation. Insulin resistance is characterized by a reduced biological response of insulin-sensitive tissues to normal physiological concentrations of insulin. Metabolic inflammation is characterized by a chronic, low-level inflammatory state that is strongly associated with metabolic disorders. The relationship between IR and metabolic inflammation in transitioning cows is intricate and mutually influential. On one hand, IR may play a role in the initiation of metabolic inflammation by promoting lipolysis in adipose tissue and increasing the release of free fatty acids. Metabolic inflammation, conversely, triggers inflammatory signaling pathways by pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby leading to impaired insulin signaling. The interaction of these factors results in a harmful cycle in which IR and metabolic inflammation mutually reinforce each other. This article offers a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the research on IR, metabolic inflammation, and their intricate interrelationship. The text delves into multiple facets of physiological regulation, pathogenesis, and their consequent impacts.

Inflammatory tone in liver and adipose tissue in dairy cows experiencing a healthy transition from late pregnancy to early lactation

The transition from late pregnancy (LP) to early lactation (EL) in dairy cows is characterized by a major reorganization of the metabolic activities of liver and adipose tissue in support of milk synthesis. This reorganization has been attributed in large part to variation in the plasma concentration and actions of growth hormone, insulin, and other metabolic hormones. A role for the immune system has also been suggested by a near-universal rise in circulating levels of liver-derived acute-phase proteins (APP) in early lactating cows. However, less attention has been devoted to the possibility that resident macrophages of liver and adipose tissue adopt a proinflammatory state (referred herein as inflammatory tone) in parallel with the rise in plasma APP. We addressed this question by measuring the expression of genes expressed predominantly in the resident macrophage population of liver and adipose tissue and indicative of a proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor α, IL-6, IL-12, resistin, and cluster of differentiation 80 [CD80]) or anti-inflammatory state (IL-10 and chitinase-3-like protein 1 [CHI3L1]). In a first group of cows, none of these inflammatory gene markers were regulated in liver between LP on d -29 (relative to parturition) and on d 8 of EL despite 1.7 to 5.6-fold upregulation in the expression of the APP (haptoglobin, serum amyloid α, and orosomucoid 1). In a second group of healthy cows, expression of the inflammatory gene markers did not differ between livers with low (<5.3%) or high (>11.5%) triglyceride content on d 7 of EL. In adipose tissue, a modest increase in inflammatory tone was suggested between LP and EL by increased CD80 expression and decreased CHI3L1 expression in EL. To assess the possibility that inflammatory tone would be more prominent if assayed in a cell compartment enriched with macrophages, adipose tissue was obtained in LP on d -28 and in EL on d +10 from cows experiencing a healthy transition period and fractionated into its adipocyte and stromal vascular cell (SVC) compartments. Expression of inflammatory gene markers was higher in SVC than adipocytes but remained unregulated in SVC between LP and EL. Overall, these results suggest little change in the inflammatory tone of resident macrophages in liver and adipose tissue of healthy transition dairy cows and do not support a role for the local immune system in the reorganization of metabolism in these tissues at the onset of lactation.

Effect of pre- and postpartum supplementation of a pure glycerol product to dairy cows on feed intake, metabolic markers, and milk yield and components

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of supplementing transition dairy cows with a low inclusion dry glycerol product in the pre- and postpartum periods on feed intake, metabolic markers, and milk yield and components. Multiparous Holstein dairy cows (n = 60) were enrolled in a 2-by-2 factorial design study. Starting 21 d before expected parturition, cows individually received a dry cow diet with (1) 250 g/d glycerol product supplementation [66% pure glycerol (United States Pharmacopeia grade); GLY], or (2) no supplementation (CON) mixed to their total mixed ration. After parturition, cows, again, were individually assigned to either GLY, or (2) no supplementation (CON) to their partial mixed ration for the first 21 d in milk (DIM). Cows were milked by an automated milking system and offered a target of 5.4 kg DM/d pellet (23% of target total dry matter intake, DMI) in the automated milking system and followed for 42 d into lactation. Blood samples were collected 6.3 ± 3.47 d before calving for all blood measures and 3, 7, 10, and 14 DIM for analysis of glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate, as well as 3 and 7 DIM for nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and haptoglobin. Initial dry cow body weight (BW), calf birth weight, previous 305-d milk, and month of parturition were used as covariates in the statistical model. Cows supplemented with GLY prepartum lost less BW and consumed more DMI pre- and postpartum, as well as had lower postpartum blood β-hydroxybutyrate and NEFA concentrations compared with those fed the CON treatment prepartum. Cows supplemented with GLY postpartum had lesser DMI in the first 42 DIM than cows fed CON postpartum, but also had reduced blood NEFA concentrations, odds of a high haptoglobin test, odds of a low blood glucose test, and lesser preformed fatty acid concentrations and yields in their milk. Cows supplemented glycerol both pre- and postpartum lost the least total BW from -21 to 21 DIM. No treatment effects were detected for milk yield; however, cows receiving GLY postpartum had lower milk fat. Overall, glycerol supplementation during the transition period, particularly during the 21 d before calving, was associated with markers of improved metabolic status.

Tumor necrosis factor-α reduces adiponectin production by decreasing transcriptional activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in calf adipocytes

Adiponectin (encoded by ADIPOQ) is an adipokine that orchestrates energy homeostasis by modulating glucose and fatty acid metabolism in peripheral tissues. During the periparturient period, dairy cows often develop adipose tissue inflammation and decreased plasma adiponectin levels. Proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a pivotal role in regulating the endocrine functions of adipocytes, but whether it affects adiponectin production in calf adipocytes remains obscure. Thus, the present study aimed to determine whether TNF-α could affect adiponectin production in calf adipocytes and to identify the underlying mechanism. Adipocytes isolated from Holstein calves were differentiated and used for (1) BODIPY493/503 staining; (2) treatment with 0.1 ng/mL TNF-α for different times (0, 8, 16, 24, or 48 h); (3) transfection with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARG) small interfering RNA for 48 h followed by treatment with or without 0.1 ng/mL TNF-α for 24 h; and (4) overexpression of PPARG for 48 h followed by treatment with or without 0.1 ng/mL TNF-α for 24 h. After differentiation, obvious lipid droplets and secretion of adiponectin were observed in adipocytes. Treatment with TNF-α did not alter mRNA abundance of ADIPOQ but reduced the total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin content in the supernatant of adipocytes. Quantification of mRNA abundance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi resident chaperones involved in adiponectin assembly revealed that ER protein 44 (ERP44), ER oxidoreductase 1α (ERO1A), and disulfide bond-forming oxidoreductase A-like protein (GSTK1) were downregulated in TNF-α-treated adipocytes, while 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein and Golgi-localizing γ-adaptin ear homology domain ARF binding protein-1 were unaltered. Moreover, TNF-α diminished nuclear translocation of PPARγ and downregulated mRNA abundance of PPARG and its downstream target gene fatty acid synthase, suggesting that TNF-α suppressed the transcriptional activity of PPARγ. In the absence of TNF-α, overexpression of PPARG enhanced the total and HMW adiponectin content in supernatant and upregulated the mRNA abundance of ADIPOQ, ERP44, ERO1A, and GSTK1 in adipocytes. However, knockdown of PPARG reduced the total and HMW adiponectin content in supernatant and downregulated the mRNA abundance of ADIPOQ, ERP44, ERO1A, and GSTK1 in adipocytes. In the presence of TNF-α, overexpression of PPARG decreased, while knockdown of PPARG further exacerbated TNF-α-induced reductions in total and HMW adiponectin secretion and gene expression of ERP44, ERO1A, and GSTK1. Overall, TNF-α reduces adiponectin assembly in the calf adipocyte, which may be partly mediated by attenuation of PPARγ transcriptional activity. Thus, locally elevated levels of TNF-α in adipose tissue may be one reason for the decrease in circulating adiponectin in periparturient dairy cows.

Metabolic Factors at the Crossroads of Periparturient Immunity and Inflammation

Periparturient cows have the highest risk for disease and culling in the adult dairy herd. This risk is compounded by the multiple physiological changes of metabolism and immune function occurring around calving that alter the cow's inflammatory response. In this article, the authors summarize the current knowledge on immunometabolism in the periparturient cow, discussing major changes in immune and metabolic function around parturition that will facilitate the assessment of periparturient cow management programs.

Symposium review: The role of adipose tissue in transition dairy cows: Current knowledge and future opportunities

Adipose tissue (AT) is a central reservoir of energy stored in the form of lipids. In addition, AT has been recognized as an immunologically and endocrinologically active tissue of dairy cattle. The recent literature on AT biology of transition dairy cows has often focused on the possible negative effects that originate from excessive body fat. However, the highly efficient energy-storage capability of this tissue is also vital to the adaptability of dairy cattle to the change in nutrient availability, and to support lactation and reproduction. An excessive degree of mobilization of this tissue, however, is associated with high circulating fatty acid concentrations, and this may have direct and indirect negative effects on reproductive health, productivity, and disease risk. Furthermore, rapid lipolysis may be associated with postpartum inflammation. Research on the role of AT is complicated by the greater difficulty of accessing and measuring visceral AT compared with subcutaneous AT. The objective of this review is to provide a transition cow-centric summary of AT biology with a focus on reviewing methods of measuring AT mass as well as to describe the importance for production, health, and reproductive success.

Inhibition of cell death inducing DNA fragmentation factor-α-like effector c (CIDEC) by tumor necrosis factor-α induces lipolysis and inflammation in calf adipocytes

Dairy cows with ketosis exhibit signs of pronounced adipose tissue lipolysis and systemic inflammation, both of which exacerbate this metabolic disorder. In nonruminants, CIDEC plays a pivotal role in the formation of large unilocular lipid droplets. The present study aimed to ascertain the role of CIDEC in the lipolytic and inflammatory response of white adipose tissue (WAT) in vivo and in vitro. Subcutaneous adipose tissue and blood samples were collected from 15 healthy cows (blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration < 1.2 mM) and 15 cows with clinical ketosis (blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration > 3.0 mM) that had a similar number of lactations (median = 3, range = 2-4) and days in milk (median = 6 d, range = 3-9). Adipocytes isolated from 5 healthy Holstein calves (1 d old, female, 30-40 kg) were used for in vitro studies. Isolated adipocytes were treated with 0, 0.1, 1, or 10 ng/mL TNF-α for 3 h, transfected with CIDEC small interfering RNA for 48 h, or transfected with CIDEC overexpression adenovirus for 48 h followed by treatment with TNF-α (0.1 ng/mL) for 3 h. Serum concentrations of fatty acids were greater, and dry matter intake, milk yield, and serum glucose concentrations lower in cows with clinical ketosis. Protein and mRNA abundance of CIDEC were lesser in subcutaneous WAT of clinically ketotic versus healthy cows. Furthermore, the ratio of phosphorylated hormone sensitive lipase (p-LIPE) to LIPE, phosphorylated RELA (p-RELA) to RELA, and protein abundance of PNPLA2 and phosphorylated inhibitor of κBα (p-NFKBIA) were greater in dairy cows with clinical ketosis. The mRNA abundance of proinflammatory cytokines TNFA and IL1B were greater, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 was lower in WAT of dairy cows with clinical ketosis. In calf adipocytes, exogenous TNF-α (0.1, 1, or 10 ng/mL) decreased protein and mRNA abundance of CIDEC. In addition, exogenous TNF-α or knockdown of CIDEC reduced the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, but increased the ratio of p-LIPE to LIPE, p-RELA to RELA, protein abundance of PNPLA2 and p-NFKBIA, glycerol content, and the secretion of IL-1β in calf adipocytes. Overexpression of CIDEC in TNFα-treated adipocytes attenuated lipolysis and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Overall, these data suggest that inhibition of lipid droplet-associated protein CIDEC by TNF-α contributes to the pronounced lipolysis and inflammation of calf adipocytes, and CIDEC is a relevant target in clinically ketotic cows.

Transcriptomic profiling of adipose tissue inflammation, remodeling, and lipid metabolism in periparturient dairy cows (Bos taurus)

Background

Periparturient cows release fatty acid reserves from adipose tissue (AT) through lipolysis in response to the negative energy balance induced by physiological changes related to parturition and the onset of lactation. However, lipolysis causes inflammation and structural remodeling in AT that in excess predisposes cows to disease. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the periparturient period on the transcriptomic profile of AT using NGS RNAseq.

Results

Subcutaneous AT samples were collected from Holstein cows (n = 12) at 11 ± 3.6 d before calving date (PreP) and at 6 ± 1d (PP1) and 13 ± 1.4d (PP2) after parturition. Differential expression analyses showed 1946 and 1524 DEG at PP1 and PP2, respectively, compared to PreP. Functional Enrichment Analysis revealed functions grouped in categories such as lipid metabolism, molecular transport, energy production, inflammation, and free radical scavenging to be affected by parturition and the onset of lactation (FDR < 0.05). Inflammation related genes such as TLR4 and IL6 were categorized as upstream lipolysis triggers. In contrast, FASN, ELOVL6, ACLS1, and THRSP were identified as upstream inhibitors of lipid synthesis. Complement (C3), CXCL2, and HMOX1 were defined as links between inflammatory pathways and those involved in the generation of reactive oxygen species.

Conclusions

Results offer a comprehensive characterization of gene expression dynamics in periparturient AT, identify upstream regulators of AT function, and demonstrate complex interactions between lipid mobilization, inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and redox signaling in the adipose organ.

Supplementary Information

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12864-020-07235-0.

Seasonal heat load is more potent than the degree of body weight loss in dysregulating immune function by reducing white blood cell populations and increasing inflammation in Holstein dairy cows

We investigated the effects of seasonal heat stress and the degree of body weight (BW) loss postpartum (PP) on immune and inflammatory markers in transition dairy cows. Blood sampled twice weekly during the transition period (3 wk prepartum to 3 wk PP) from 12 peripartum Holstein cows in summer and 12 in winter was analyzed for plasma nonesterified fatty acids, the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA), haptoglobin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Complete blood counts and white blood cell (WBC) subpopulations (CD4, CD8, CD25, WC1, and CD335) were examined weekly during the transition period. Adipose tissue biopsies were taken at 7 d PP from summer-calving cows. In cows calving during seasonal heat stress, plasma TNF-α concentrations were 4.9-fold higher prepartum and 5.1-fold higher PP, and MDA concentrations were higher prepartum and PP than in winter. Hematocrit was lower prepartum and tended to be lower PP in summer compared with winter, and after adjusting to hematocrit values fewer WBC prepartum (-17%) and PP (-22%), lower monocytes prepartum (-37%) and PP (-49%), and fewer neutrophils (-25%) PP were found in summer compared with winter-calving cows. The percentages of cytotoxic T cells (CD8) and natural killer cells (CD335) were lower, as well as prepartum gamma delta-T cells (WC1) in summer compared with winter-calving cows. Moreover, lower red blood cell counts prepartum and mean platelet volume and red blood cell distribution width prepartum and PP, as well as higher hemoglobin prepartum and PP, were found in summer than winter-calving cows. In summer, cows that lost more BW PP had higher plasma MDA and TNF-α concentrations, fewer basophil numbers prepartum, a decrease in the percentage of cells expressing the IL-2 receptor (CD25), increased ratio of T helper cells (CD4):CD8, and a tendency for increased WC1 percentages in blood prepartum, as well as a higher percentage of WC1 PP and higher abundance of TNF-α and lower lipopolysaccharide-binding protein in adipose tissue compared with cows that lost less BW PP. In conclusion, seasonal heat stress during the peripartum period was associated with lower WBC counts coupled with increased levels of subacute inflammation, indicating dysregulation of immune function, whereas the degree of BW loss had minor effects. This suggests that heat load is a more potent stressor associated with immune function than the variation in the degree of BW loss PP in high-yielding peripartum dairy cows.

Molecular networks of insulin signaling and amino acid metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue are altered by body condition in periparturient Holstein cows

Peripartal cows mobilize not only body fat but also body protein to satisfy their energy requirements. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of prepartum BCS on blood biomarkers related to energy and nitrogen metabolism, and mRNA and protein abundance associated with AA metabolism and insulin signaling in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in peripartal cows. Twenty-two multiparous Holstein cows were retrospectively classified into a high BCS (HBCS; n = 11, BCS ≥ 3.5) or normal BCS (NBCS; n = 11, BCS ≤ 3.17) group at d 28 before expected parturition. Cows were fed the same diet as a total mixed ration before parturition and were fed the same lactation diet postpartum. Blood samples collected at -10, 7, 15, and 30 d relative to parturition were used for analyses of biomarkers associated with energy and nitrogen metabolism. Biopsies of SAT harvested at -15, 7, and 30 d relative to parturition were used for mRNA (real time-PCR) and protein abundance (Western blotting) assays. Data were subjected to ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS (v. 9.4; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), with P ≤ 0.05 being the threshold for significance. Cows in HBCS had greater overall plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations, due to marked increases at 7 and 15 d postpartum. This response was similar (BCS × Day effect) to protein abundance of phosphorylated (p) protein kinase B (p-AKT), the insulin-induced glucose transporter (SLC2A4), and the sodium-coupled neutral AA transporter (SLC38A1). Abundance of these proteins was lower at -15 d compared with NBCS cows, and either increased (SLC2A4, SLC38A1) or did not change (p-AKT) at 7 d postpartum in HBCS. Unlike protein abundance, however, overall mRNA abundances of the high-affinity cationic (SLC7A1), proton-coupled (SLC36A1), and sodium-coupled amino acid transporters (SLC38A2) were greater in HBCS than NBCS cows, due to upregulation in the postpartum phase. Those responses were similar to protein abundance of p-mTOR, which increased (BCS × Day effect) at 7 d in HBCS compared with NBCS cows. mRNA abundance of argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) and arginase 1 (ARG1) also was greater overall in HBCS cows. Together, these responses suggested impaired insulin signaling, coupled with greater postpartum AA transport rate and urea cycle activity in SAT of HBCS cows. An in vitro study using adipocyte and macrophage cocultures stimulated with various concentrations of fatty acids could provide some insights into the role of immune cells in modulating adipose tissue immunometabolic status, including insulin resistance and AA metabolism.

Methods in isolation and characterization of bovine monocytes and macrophages

Monocytes and macrophages belong to the mononuclear phagocyte system and play important roles in both physiological and pathological processes. The cells belonging to the monocyte/macrophage system are structurally and functionally heterogeneous. Several subsets of monocytes have been previously identified in mammalian blood, generating different subpopulations of macrophages in tissues. Although their distribution and phenotype are similar to their human counterpart, bovine monocytes and macrophages feature differences in both functions and purification procedures. The specific roles that monocytes and macrophages fulfil in several important diseases of bovine species, including among the others tuberculosis and paratuberculosis, brucellosis or the disease related to peripartum, remain still partially elusive. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current knowledge of bovine monocytes and macrophages. We will describe methods for their purification and characterization of their major functions, including chemotaxis, phagocytosis and killing, oxidative burst, apoptosis and necrosis. An overview of the flow cytometry and morphological procedures, including cytology, histology and immunohistochemistry, that are currently utilized to describe monocyte and macrophage main populations and functions is presented as well.

Review: Following the smoke signals: inflammatory signaling in metabolic homeostasis and homeorhesis in dairy cattle

Inflammatory cascades are a critical component of the immune response to infection or tissue damage, involving an array of signals, including water-soluble metabolites, lipid mediators and several classes of proteins. Early investigation of these signaling pathways focused largely on immune cells and acute disease models. However, more recent findings have highlighted critical roles of both immune cells and inflammatory mediators on tissue remodeling and metabolic homeostasis in healthy animals. In dairy cattle, inflammatory signals in various tissues and in circulation change rapidly and dramatically, starting just prior to and at the onset of lactation. Furthermore, several observations in healthy cows point to homeostatic control of inflammatory tone, which we define as a regulatory process to balance immune tolerance with activation to keep downstream effects under control. Recent evidence suggests that peripartum inflammatory changes influence whole-body nutrient flux of dairy cows over the course of days and months. Inflammatory mediators can suppress appetite, even at levels that do not induce acute responses (e.g. fever), thereby decreasing nutrient availability. On the other hand, inhibition of inflammatory signaling with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis, leading to hypoglycemia in some cases. Over the long term, though, peripartum NSAID treatment substantially increases peak and whole-lactation milk synthesis by multiparous cows. Inflammatory regulation of nutrient flux may provide a homeorhetic mechanism to aid cows in adapting to rapid changes in metabolic demand at the onset of lactation, but excessive systemic inflammation has negative effects on metabolic homeostasis through inhibition of appetite and promotion of immune cell activity. Thus, in this review, we provide perspectives on the overlapping regulation of immune responses and metabolism by inflammatory mediators, which may provide a mechanistic underpinning for links between infectious and metabolic diseases in transition dairy cows. Moreover, we point to novel approaches to the management of this challenging phase of the production cycle.

Body condition alters glutathione and nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NFE2L2)-related antioxidant network abundance in subcutaneous adipose tissue of periparturient Holstein cows

Dairy cows with high body condition score (BCS) in late prepartum are more susceptible to oxidative stress (OS). Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NFE2L2) is a major antioxidant transcription factor. We investigated the effect of precalving BCS on blood biomarkers associated with OS, inflammation, and liver function, along with mRNA and protein abundance of targets related to NFE2L2 and glutathione (GSH) metabolism in s.c. adipose tissue (SAT) of periparturient dairy cows. Twenty-two multiparous Holstein cows were retrospectively classified into a high BCS (HBCS; n = 11, BCS ≥3.5) or normal BCS (NBCS; n = 11, BCS ≤3.17) on d 28 before parturition. Cows were fed a corn silage- and wheat straw-based total mixed ration during late prepartum, and a corn silage- and alfalfa hay-based total mixed ration postpartum. Blood samples obtained at -10, 7, 15, and 30 d relative to parturition were used for analyses of biomarkers associated with inflammation, including albumin, ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, and myeloperoxidase, as well as OS, including ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and β-carotene. Adipose biopsies harvested at -15, 7, and 30 d relative to parturition were analyzed for mRNA (real-time quantitative PCR) and protein abundance (Western blotting) of targets associated with the antioxidant transcription regulator nuclear factor, NFE2L2, and GSH metabolism pathway. In addition, concentrations of GSH, ROS and malondialdehyde were measured. High BCS cows had lower prepartum dry matter intake expressed as a percentage of body weight along with greater BCS loss between -4 and 4 wk relative to parturition. Plasma concentrations of ROS and FRAP increased after parturition regardless of treatment. Compared with NBCS, HBCS cows had greater concentrations of FRAP at d 7 postpartum, which coincided with peak values in those cows. In addition, NBCS cows experienced a marked decrease in plasma ROS after d 7 postpartum, while HBCS cows maintained a constant concentration by d 30 postpartum. Overall, ROS concentrations in SAT were greater in HBCS cows. However, overall mRNA abundance of NFE2L2 was lower and cullin 3 (CUL3), a negative regulator of NFE2L2, was greater in HBCS cows. Although HBCS cows had greater overall total protein abundance of NFE2L2 in SAT, ratio of phosphorylated NFE2L2 to total NFE2L2 was lower, suggesting a decrease in the activity of this antioxidant system. Overall, mRNA abundance of the GSH metabolism-related genes glutathione reductase (GSR), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), and transaldolase 1 (TALDO1), along with protein abundance of glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), were greater in HBCS cows. Data suggest that HBCS cows might experience greater systemic OS after parturition, while increased abundance of mRNA and protein components of the GSH metabolism pathway in SAT might help alleviate tissue oxidant status. Data underscored the importance of antioxidant mechanisms at the tissue level. Thus, targeting these pathways in SAT during the periparturient period via nutrition might help control tissue remodeling while allowing optimal performance.

Lipolysis modulates the biosynthesis of inflammatory lipid mediators derived from linoleic acid in adipose tissue of periparturient dairy cows

Oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAM) are products of adipocyte lipolysis with the potential to modulate adipose tissue (AT) lipid metabolism and inflammation. In periparturient cows, linoleic acid is preferentially mobilized from AT during lipolysis by hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) compared with other polyunsaturated fatty acids. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions generate OXLAM from linoleic acid. Among OXLAM, 9-, 10-, and 12-hydroxy-octadecadienoic acids (HODE) are associated with pro-inflammatory responses, whereas 9- and 13-oxo-octadecadienoic acids (oxoODE) and 13-HODE can facilitate inflammation resolution and promote lipogenesis. This study evaluated the effect of HSL activity on OXLAM biosynthesis using subcutaneous AT explants collected from multiparous dairy cows at 10 d before and again at 10 and 24 d after calving. Explants were treated for 3 h without or with the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (ISO; 1 µM; MilliporeSigma, Burlington, MA) to induce HSL activity. The contribution of HSL to OXLAM biosynthesis was determined by inhibiting its activity with CAY10499 (2 µM; Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, MI). After treatments, media and explants were collected for lipidomic analysis using HPLC-tandem mass spectroscopy. Results indicated that ISO increased the biosynthesis of 9-, 12-, and 13-HODE and 9-oxoODE, and this effect was reduced at 24 d after calving. Inhibiting HSL activity partially reversed ISO effects on HODE and 9-oxoODE. Our ex vivo model demonstrated for the first time a direct effect of HSL activity on the biosynthesis of OXLAM in AT, especially at 10 d before and 10 d after calving. The biosynthesis of anti-inflammatory OXLAM is limited during the first weeks after parturition and may promote AT inflammation and lipolytic responses to negative energy balance. These results indicate that HSL activity releases linoleic acid for OXLAM biosynthesis in concentrations of a magnitude that may bypass the need for the activation of phospholipases linked with the inflammatory cascade and thus supports, in part, lipolysis-driven inflammation within AT of periparturient cows.