Relationship between plasma concentrations of IGF-I and clinical endometritis, and response to progesterone synchrony in dairy cows during early lactation

TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 relieves lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory injury in endometritis by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation

BACKGROUND

Endometritis seriously affects the health of women, and it is important to identify new targets for its treatment.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the role of TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 (TNIP2) in endometritis through human endometrial epithelial cells (hEECs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

METHODS

hEECs were induced with LPS to build a cellular model of endometritis. Cell growth and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry. The TNIP2 mRNA and protein levels were measured using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The caspase3 activity was calculated using a Caspase3 activity kit. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were determined by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay. The reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined using the corresponding kits. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway was determined by western blot assay.

RESULTS

TNIP2 was downregulated in the LPS-induced endometritis cell model. Cell viability was reduced, apoptosis was enhanced, and IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels increased in LPS-induced hEECs. Additionally, LDH activity and ROS concentration were upregulated, whereas CAT and SOD activities were downregulated in LPS-induced hEECs. These results were reversed by TNIP2 overexpression. Moreover, the results hinted that NF-κB was involved in the effects of TNIP2 on the LPS-induced endometritis cell model.

CONCLUSION

TNIP2 alleviated endometritis by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for endometritis.

Inhibition of mTOR in bovine monocyte derived macrophages and dendritic cells provides a potential mechanism for postpartum immune dysfunction in dairy cows

Dairy cattle experience a profound nutrient deficit postpartum that is associated with immune dysfunction characterized by heightened inflammation and reduced pathogen clearance. The activation of the central nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway is comparatively reduced in leukocytes of early postpartum dairy cows during this time of most pronounced nutrient deficit. We assessed the effect of pharmacological mTOR inhibition (Torin-1, rapamycin) on differentiation of monocyte derived classically (M1) and alternatively (M2) activated macrophages (MPh) and dendritic cells (moDC) from 12 adult dairy cows. Treatment with mTOR inhibitors generated M1 MPh with increased oxidative burst and expression of IL12 subunits but decreased phagocytosis and expression of IL1B, IL6, and IL10. In M2 MPh, treatment inhibited expression of regulatory features (CD163, ARG2, IL10) skewing the cells toward an M1-like phenotype. In moDC, mTOR inhibition increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL12A, IL12B, IL1B, IL6) and surface CD80. In co-culture with mixed lymphocytes, mTOR-inhibited moDC exhibited a cytokine profile favoring a Th1 response with increased TNF and IFNG production and decreased IL10 concentrations. We conclude that mTOR inhibition in vitro promoted differentiation of inflammatory macrophages with reduced regulatory features and generation of Th1-favoring dendritic cells. These mechanisms could contribute to immune dysregulation in postpartum dairy cows.

Predisposing factors, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of persistent endometritis in postpartum cows

A certain level of endometrial bacterial infection and inflammation is involved in bovine uterine involution during the puerperal period. Factors that hamper normal uterine involution expose the uterine environment to pathological conditions, causing different endometritis levels. The lack of proper diagnostic tools extends the time to conception. Efforts have been made to elucidate the postpartum uterine environment, including bacterial flora, changes in transient endometrial inflammation, and the pathophysiology of endometritis, to improve bovine reproductive performance. E. coli and Trueperella pyogenes in the uterus are likely to cause persistent infection, and Mycoplasma bovigenitalium infection is associated with dystocia and cytological endometritis in postpartum dairy cows. Due to the widespread use of cytobrush as a diagnostic tool for bovine subclinical endometritis (SE) that enables quantification of the degree of inflammation, we found that endometritis at week 5 postpartum was associated with delayed first ovulation. Approximately 30% of open cows have SE during the postpartum period, and cows with low blood glucose during prepartum have a high risk of developing SE. Additionally, cows with purulent vaginal discharge do not always have endometritis but only vaginitis and/or cervicitis. Intrauterine infusion of polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) improves fertility and promotes endometrial epithelial cell regeneration after inducing transient uterine inflammation, suggesting that PVP-I could be a good alternative to antibiotics. In conclusion, prepartum management to prevent glucose deficiency, prompt diagnosis to identify causative agents and intrauterine inflammation levels, and appropriate treatment to minimize antimicrobial resistance is beneficial for tackling endometritis and improving reproductive performance in bovine herds.

Effect of body condition change and health status during early lactation on performance and survival of Holstein cows

Body condition score (BCS) and disease records are commonly available in dairy operations. However, the effect of BCS changes (ΔBCS) considering specific health profiles has not been investigated extensively. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of different levels of ΔBCS on fertility, milk yield, and survival of Holstein cows diagnosed with reproductive disorders (REP; dystocia, twins, retained fetal membranes, metritis, and clinical endometritis), other health disorders (OTH; subclinical ketosis, left displaced abomasum, lameness, clinical mastitis, and respiratory disease), or with no disease events (HLT) within 40 days in milk (DIM). Data included lactation information from 11,733 cows calving between November 2012 and October 2014 in 16 herds across 4 geographical regions in the United States (Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, Southeast). Cows were evaluated for BCS at 5 ± 3 DIM (BCS5) and at 40 ± 3 DIM (BCS40) and the difference between BCS40 and BCS5 was classified as excessive loss of BCS (EL; ΔBCS ≤-0.75), moderate loss (ML; ΔBCS = -0.5 to -0.25), no change (NC; ΔBCS = 0), or gain of BCS (GN; ΔBCS ≥0.25). Multivariable logistic regression was used for assessing potential associations between the outcomes of interest and ΔBCS and health. The effect of the interaction term ΔBCS by health group was not statistically significant for any of the study outcomes. The odds of resumption of ovarian cyclicity (ROC), in GN, NC, and ML cows were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.57-2.40), 1.59 (1.28-1.97), and 1.27 (1.10-1.47) times greater than the odds of ROC in EL cows, respectively. The odds of pregnancy at 150 DIM (P150) in GN cows were 1.61 (1.20-2.17) times greater than the odds of P150 in EL cows. Cows with REP or OTH disorders had smaller odds of ROC compared with HLT cows [REP: OR = 0.65 (0.56-0.76) and OTH: OR = 0.79 (0.68-0.92)]. For pregnancy outcomes, REP cows had smaller odds of pregnancy at the first artificial insemination compared with HLT cows [0.70 (0.58-0.84)]. Similarly, REP cows had smaller odds of being diagnosed pregnant by 150 and 305 DIM compared with HLT cows [P150: 0.73 (0.59-0.87), P305: 0.58 (0.49-0.69)]. Overall, average daily milk within the first 90 DIM was greater in EL (39.5 ± 1.13 kg/d) and ML (38.9 ± 1.11 kg/d) cows than in NC (37.8 ± 1.12 kg/d) and GN (36.2 ± 1.12 kg/d) cows. On the other hand, average daily milk within the first 90 DIM was lower in REP (37.0 ± 1.11 kg/d) cows compared with OTH (38.7 ± 1.12 kg/d) and HLT cows (38.6 ± 1.11 kg/d). The magnitude of ΔBCS and the health status of early lactation cows should be considered when assessing subsequent cow performance and survival.

Factors associated with negative energy balance in periparturient dairy cows raised under tropical climate of Thailand-A mini-review

This review attempted to explain factors associated with negative energy balance (NEB) occurring during the periparturient period in dairy cows raised under tropical climatic conditions. The NEB has long been proven as an inevitable event in periparturient dairy cows. This condition had negative effects on the overall performances of dairy cows, including milk production, reproduction, and health condition. Therefore, periparturient management to overcome the NEB problem is vital for optimizing profit in dairy farming. In most tropical countries such as Thailand, dairy cows have been predominantly kept by small-holder farmers. Consequently, baseline milk yields, feed availability, feeding management, and general farming practices are different from typical commercial dairy farming. Heat stress also plays a crucial role in NEB conditions, and elevated temperature-humidity indexes above-normal conditions are recorded throughout the year. These factors influence the NEB in tropical dairy cows, which could result in different outcomes and consequences. Understanding the affecting components of NEB in dairy cows would help alleviate the severity of the NEB and its consequences, optimizing the dairy cow's performance.