1434
Effects of road transportation on metabolic and immunological responses in dairy heifers

Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Exhibit Hall AB (Kansas City Convention Center)
Myunggi Baik , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Hyeok Joong Kang , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
In Kyu Lee , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Min Yu Piao , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Chae Won Kwak , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Min Jeong Gu , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Cheol Heui Yun , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Hyun Jin Kim , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Gyeom Heon Kim , Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
Soo Ki Kim , Department of Animal Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
Jong K. Ha , Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Abstract Text:

This study was performed to determine the effects of road transportation on metabolic responses in dairy heifers. Twenty-two Holstein heifers (average 17.6 months of age, 440 kg of average body weight) were divided into non-transported (NT; n = 8) and transported (T; n = 14) groups. Feed and water in the NT heifers were restricted the same amount as the T heifers. The heifers were acclimated in stanchion barn. All heifers were restrained with a halter in a stanchion, and blood was collected using vaccutainer by jugular venipuncture. The NT heifers In the T group, blood was collected before transportation (BT), after 100km (T1) and 200km transportation (T2), and at 24h after transportation (AT). In the NT group, blood was collected at same time as the T group. The T heifers showed higher (P < 0.001) blood cortisol concentrations after T1 and T2 than the NT heifers. The T heifers showed higher (P < 0.01) serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations after T1 and T2 than the NT heifers. In contrast, the T heifers showed lower serum triglyceride (TG) concentrations after T1 (P = 0.01) and T2 (P < 0.001) than the NT heifers. Serum concentrations of cortisol, NEFA, and TG at 24h AT were returned (P > 0.05) to those of the BT in the T heifers. Other serum lipid concentrations, including phospholipid (P = 0.02), high density lipoprotein (P = 0.03), low density lipoprotein (P = 0.01), and cholesterol (P = 0.04) were lower in the T heifers after T2 than the NT heifers. Serum glucose concentrations were not changed by T1 and T2. The ratio of granulocytes to lymphocytes (P < 0.001) and the percentage of monocytes (P < 0.05) were shown higher after T2 in the T heifers when compared to those of the NT heifers, suggesting increased number of innate immune cells upon transportation stress. In conclusion, short transportation increases cortisol secretion, which was coincident with induction of metabolic responses and up-regulation of peripheral innate immune cells in dairy heifers.

Keywords: transportation, stress, metabolic responses, dairy heifers

See more of: Physiology and Endocrinology III
See more of: Physiology and Endocrinology
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