Giuseppe Bertoni
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Zootecnica, Department Member
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Increased disease rates are commonly reported among high-yielding dairy cows in the so-called transition period, extending from 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving. This period is characterized by the occurrence of a systemic... more
Increased disease rates are commonly reported among high-yielding dairy cows in the so-called transition period, extending from 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving. This period is characterized by the occurrence of a systemic inflammatory response in terms of both positive and negative acute phase proteins, with no signs of microbial infections. To determine the extent and the seriousness of the above inflammatory response, the authors have devised the Liver Functionality Index (LFI), which defines the above condition on the basis of the time-course of albumin, cholesterol and total bilirubin (direct or indirect indices of negative acute phase response) during the first month of lactation. In this respect, low LFI values are associated to a high inflammatory response and vice versa. The relationship between LFI and plasma interleukin IL-6 levels from day -28 to day +28 with respect to calving was investigated in 12 periparturient dairy cows showing the highest and lowest LFI values, respectively (6 cows each), within a cohort of 54 high-yielding dairy cows inside two experimental farms. As expected, low LFI cows experienced many more disease cases (100 vs 33 percent of cows had at least one affection) and drug treatments till day +28; their dry matter intake and milk yield were also lower (P<0.07). IL-6 concentrations were always higher in low LFI cows (P<0.06 from day +10 onwards; P<0.05 on day +21). IL-6 levels were lowest at calving in both groups, but the subsequent peak on day +3 was much higher in low LFI subjects (P<0.05). TNF-alpha values showed no significant differences between the two groups; these could be clearly recognized instead because of high versus low serum lysozyme concentrations in high and low LFI cows, respectively (p< 0.05). Our study confirms that disease cases of periparturient, high-yielding dairy cows are correlated with signs of systemic inflammation, characterized by a disregulated IL-6 response. This starts in the dry period and proceeds at much higher levels after calving
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Research Interests: Food Science and Biology
The peripartal period is characterized by marked changes in inflammatory status that are functionally related with impaired immune and metabolic responses in the cow. We examined blood metabolites and expression of genes related to... more
The peripartal period is characterized by marked changes in inflammatory status that are functionally related with impaired immune and metabolic responses in the cow. We examined blood metabolites and expression of genes related to inflammation and ER stress in cows assigned (6/diet) to a control (high-straw, CON; NEL = 1.34 Mcal/kg) or moderate-energy (OVE; NEL = 1.62 Mcal/kg) diet during the entire dry period. All cows were fed a common lactation diet (NEL = 1.69 Mcal/ kg) postpartum. Blood was collected on d (\ub13) 1214, 125, 122, 121, 0, 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 d relative to parturition. A percutaneous liver tissue biopsy was harvested at 1214, 7, 14, and 30 d relative to parturition for transcript profiling via quantitative PCR. Estimated prepartal energy balance (EBAL) OVE was greater (P < 0.05) and averaged 159% of requirements compared with 102% in CON. However, EBAL during the first week postpartum was lower in OVE (83% vs. 89% of requirements). After parturition the concentration of ceruloplasmin, creatinine, bilirubin and reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) was greater (Diet 7 Time; P < 0.05) in OVE. Around calving the expression of ER and oxidative stress indicator genes XBP1, PERK, GRP94 and HSP40 was lower in OVE than CON but TRB3, HSPA1A, HSPA1B and CREB3L3 had greater (Diet 7 Time; P < 0.05) expression in OVE. Expression postpartum of the inflammatory genes NFKB1, RELA, CHUK, MYD88, TNF, SAA3, and PTX3 increased (Diet 7 Time; P < 0.05) in OVE. Genes associated with cell growth (mTOR, RPTOR, AKT3, TP53) also had greater (Diet 7 Time; P < 0.05) expression in OVE after parturition. Overall, results indicated that negative EBAL induced by prepartal OVE was associated with hepatic pro-inflammatory and pro-stress upregulation
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Paraoxonase (PON) is a liver protein with hydrolase activity that is released into the blood stream. Paraoxonase may serve as an index of liver function because it is drastically reduced in chronic liver damage. Sixty-seven periparturient... more
Paraoxonase (PON) is a liver protein with hydrolase activity that is released into the blood stream. Paraoxonase may serve as an index of liver function because it is drastically reduced in chronic liver damage. Sixty-seven periparturient dairy cows were used to evaluate the relationship between plasma PON, health problems, inflammatory conditions, and liver function. Baseline plasma PON concentrations during the first 30 d in milk (DIM) were retrospectively used to group cows into quartiles. Metabolic profile, lipid metabolites (e.g., nonesterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate), inflammatory indices (haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin), low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, vitamin A, vitamin E, reactive oxygen metabolites, total antioxidants, and PON in plasma were measured 2 wk before to 8 wk after calving. Weekly milk yield, body condition score, and all health problems were recorded. After parturition (7 DIM), cows in the lower PON group had the lowest plasma concentrations of negative acute phase proteins compared with the higher PON group for retinol binding protein (23.2 +/- 2.86 vs. 36.0 +/- 2.96 mu g/dL of vitamin A), albumin (31.6 +/- 0.73 vs. 33.9 +/- 0.75 g/L), total cholesterol (2.04 +/- 0.30 vs. 2.45 +/- 0.42 mmol/ L), and the highest concentrations of haptoglobin (0.67 vs. 0.24 +/- 0.03 g/L; positive acute phase protein) and globulins (37.2 vs. 32.3 +/- 1.4 g/L). Plasma bilirubin was highest in the cows (10.1 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.6 mu mol/L) in the lowest PON quartile. Plasma PON was negatively correlated with haptoglobin (r = -0.39) and bilirubin (r = -0.42) and positively correlated with retinol binding protein (r = 0.54), albumin (r = 0.38), and cholesterol (r = 0.55) fractions. A total of 82.3% of cows in the lower quartile and no cows in the upper quartile experienced serious inflammation. Lower quartile cows produced 28.1 +/- 10.3 kg of milk/d; whereas upper quartile cows produced 38.3 +/- 7.7 kg of milk/d during the first 30 DIM. A reduction in the ability of the liver to cope with the increased metabolic demand near parturition in dairy cows can be diagnosed using changes in baseline plasma PON
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Our objective was to examine the effect of overfeeding a moderateenergy diet on performance, visceral depot weights, body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW), and blood metabolites in dry non-pregnant cows. Fourteen Holstein cows (BCS... more
Our objective was to examine the effect of overfeeding a moderateenergy diet on performance, visceral depot weights, body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW), and blood metabolites in dry non-pregnant cows. Fourteen Holstein cows (BCS = 3.31 \ub1 0.14) were assigned to treatments in a randomized block design. All cows were fed individually a control diet (CON; NEL = 1.32 Mcal/kg) to meet 100% of NRC requirements for 3 wk, after which half of the cows were assigned to a moderate-energy diet (OVE; NEL = 1.54 Mcal/kg) and half of the cows continued on CON for 6 wk. The OVE diet was fed ad libitum and resulted in cows consuming energy at ~180% of NRC. CON cows were fed to consume only to 100% of NRC. The BW and BCS were measured from wk 123 to 6, while the blood samples were collected before slaughter and several metabolites and hormones were measured. The DMI was recorded from 121 wk through slaughter on a daily basis. The wk before slaughter, OVE cows had greater concentration of BHBA (0.43 vs. 0.22; P &lt; 0.001), cholesterol (3.77 vs. 2.65; P = 0.008) and AST-GOT (78.77 vs. 64.33; P = 0.04); whereas, the concentration of NEFA (0.07 vs. 0.17; P = 0.002) and bilirubin (0.89 vs. 1.5; P = 0.005) was lower in OVE cows. OVE cows had greater (P &lt; 0.001) BW (757.5 vs. 692.5), DMI (kg/d; 17.20 vs. 8.02) and DMI as a percentage of BW (2.20 vs. 1.18); whereas, the BCS (3.4 vs. 3.6) and empty carcass weight (468.43 vs. 525.91) remained unchanged. In OVE cows, weight of the mesenteric (15.49 vs. 8.1; P 64 0.01) and perirenal fat mass (11.17 vs. 3.39; P 64 0.04), and liver (11.4 vs. 7.82; P &lt; 0.001) was greater. Omental fat mass (15.16 vs. 23.41) did not differ. The similar BCS between the 2 diets and the fact that OVE cows had greater internal fat deposition suggests that BCS provided little information on visceral fat mass. Overfeeding energy did not impair insulin sensitivity but seemed to affect hepatic function
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Research Interests: Biology and Dairy cows
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Research Interests: Genetics, Transcriptomics, Biology, Inflammation, Diet, and 15 moreMedicine, Signal Transduction, Transcriptome, Immunity, Female, Animals, Gene ontology, Gene Regulatory Networks, Immune system, Reproducibility of Results, Sus Scrofa, Small Intestine, Gene expression profiling, Sorbic Acid, and real time polymerase chain reaction
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Research Interests: Incidence Geometry, Inflammation, Lactation, Biological Sciences, Internal Medicine, and 15 moreCholesterol, Female, Animals, Blood sampling, Dairy Cow, Bilirubin, Cattle, Ceruloplasmin, Acute Phase Proteins, Haptoglobin, Acute Phase Response, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferases, acute phase, and cattle diseases
Research Interests: Biology, Cytokines, Inflammation, Lactation, Medicine, and 15 moreAnimal Production, Energy Metabolism, Veterinary Science, Pregnancy, Blood Glucose, Female, Animals, Cattle, Ceruloplasmin, Veterinary Sciences, Physiological Stress Markers, Dairying, cattle diseases, Stress Physiological, and metabolic stress
Previous studies had indicated an active role of bovine forestomachs in the response to alimentary disorders as well as to inflammatory and infectious processes in both the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract and elsewhere. We investigated the... more
Previous studies had indicated an active role of bovine forestomachs in the response to alimentary disorders as well as to inflammatory and infectious processes in both the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract and elsewhere. We investigated the potential of bovine forestomachs to receive, elaborate and produce signals and mediators of the innate immune response. Indeed, we detected the expression of Toll IL-1R8/single Ig IL-1-related receptor (TIR8/SIGIRR) and other receptors and cytokines, such as Toll-like receptor (TLR)4, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10 and Caspase-1 in the forestomach walls of healthy cows. Their presence suggests an active role of forestomachs in inflammatory disorders of the GI tract and other body compartments. Moreover, interferon (IFN)-γ was revealed in ruminal content. We confirmed and further characterized the presence of leukocytes in the rumen fluids. In particular, T-, B-lymphocytes and myeloid lineage cells were detected in the ruminal content of both rumen-fistulated heifers and diseased cows. An acidogenic diet based on daily supplements of maize was shown to inhibit leukocyte accumulation, as opposed to a control, hay-based diet, with or without a soy flour (protein) supplement. On the whole, results indicate that bovine forestomachs can receive and elaborate signals for the immune cells infiltrating the rumen content or other organs. Forestomachs can thus participate in a cross-talk with the lymphoid tissues in the oral cavity and promote regulatory actions at both regional and systemic levels; these might include the control of dry matter intake as a function of fundamental metabolic requirements of ruminants.
Research Interests: RNA, Flow Cytometry, Biology, Innate immunity, Medicine, and 15 moreAnimal Production, Toll like receptor signaling, Female, Animals, Caspase, Cattle, Immune system, Rumen, Interleukin, Interferon gamma, Immunoblotting, Inflammatory response, real time polymerase chain reaction, innate immune response, and In Vitro Techniques
This paper reports the results of a study that aimed to assess whether liver functionality defined by liver activity index (LAI) is associated with inflammatory and immune parameters in blood and milk. LAI is an index including the... more
This paper reports the results of a study that aimed to assess whether liver functionality defined by liver activity index (LAI) is associated with inflammatory and immune parameters in blood and milk. LAI is an index including the average blood levels of albumin, lipoproteins and retinol-binding protein measured three times in the first month of lactation (at 5, 15 and 30 days in milk). The aim was to assess the relationship of this index with blood and udder immune and inflammatory status as a means of identifying as early as possible cows at risk of disease. The research was carried out using 10 multiparous Italian-Friesian dairy cows of average genetic merit. Cows were retrospectively ranked in three groups according the LAI level. Blood samplings were performed at different intervals before and after calving; quarter milk samples were taken only after calving with the same schedule as blood samples. Leucocytes, oxidative burst, blood lysozyme and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (N...
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Many apparently healthy cows show marked inflammatory conditions around calving, associated with endocrine and metabolic changes. To prevent the above conditions, a low-dose, oral interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment was carried out on... more
Many apparently healthy cows show marked inflammatory conditions around calving, associated with endocrine and metabolic changes. To prevent the above conditions, a low-dose, oral interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment was carried out on periparturient, multiparous dairy cows. In the first trial, 10 cows received 10 IU of IFN-alpha/kg of BW daily during the last 2 wk of pregnancy. In a second trial, 4 cows received 0.5 IU of IFN-alpha/kg of BW daily until d 5 of lactation. In both trials, a homogenous group of untreated dairy cows was used as control. All cows were monitored, during the month before and after calving, for health status, BCS, milk yield, and inflammatory, metabolic, immune, and hematological variables. Compared with control cows, IFN-alpha-treated animals showed in both trials a larger decrease of BCS along with decreased milk yield (P &lt; 0.05), increased haptoglobin (P &lt; 0.05) and ceruloplasmin, and a slower increase of negative acute phase proteins (albumin, cholesterol, paraoxonase, vitamin A) after calving. Interferon-alpha-treated animals also showed a larger decrease of plasma glucose and greater values of NEFA, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and reactive oxygen metabolites. There also was evidence of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha responses in both groups before calving with a quick decrease thereafter. The IL-6 response appeared in some animals regardless of the IFN-alpha treatment. Results indicate that low-dose IFN-alpha can sustain an inflammatory response in dairy cows and cause notable metabolic changes. This outcome might be explained by the repeated and extended interaction of IFN-alpha at low doses with the oral lymphoid tissues during rumination, as suggested by the observed stability of the cytokine in the rumen milieu; the final inflammatory effect could thus be as large as that of high doses. In addition, the antiflogistic signal of IFN-alpha might be counteracted and inverted by lymphocytes detected in the rumen liquor.
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Paraoxonase (PON) is a liver protein with hydrolase activity that is released into the blood stream. Paraoxonase may serve as an index of liver function because it is drastically reduced in chronic liver damage. Sixty-seven periparturient... more
Paraoxonase (PON) is a liver protein with hydrolase activity that is released into the blood stream. Paraoxonase may serve as an index of liver function because it is drastically reduced in chronic liver damage. Sixty-seven periparturient dairy cows were used to evaluate the relationship between plasma PON, health problems, inflammatory conditions, and liver function. Baseline plasma PON concentrations during the first 30 d in milk (DIM) were retrospectively used to group cows into quartiles. Metabolic profile, lipid metabolites (e.g., nonesterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate), inflammatory indices (haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin), low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, vitamin A, vitamin E, reactive oxygen metabolites, total antioxidants, and PON in plasma were measured 2 wk before to 8 wk after calving. Weekly milk yield, body condition score, and all health problems were recorded. After parturition (7 DIM), cows in the lower PON group had the lowest plasma concentration...
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Animal welfare is an important social construct showing that humans recognise the sentient nature of animals and manage them accordingly; however, because the concept differs depending on individual perceptions of the acceptability of... more
Animal welfare is an important social construct showing that humans recognise the sentient nature of animals and manage them accordingly; however, because the concept differs depending on individual perceptions of the acceptability of different practices and appropriate endpoint measurements, objective evaluation of an animal’s welfare state is challenging. A good level of welfare, however, is not achieved merely by the absence of difficulties (e.g. pain, injury, disease, distress) but by the animal’s capacity to overcome them. Production-oriented (utilitarian) opinions contend that high production indicates good welfare, as an animal must be healthy and well nourished to achieve it. Although there is truth in this premise, high production can, in itself, result in stresses, with no obvious signs that potentially predispose animals to ill health. The focus of the present paper is on peripartal dairy cattle as it relates to development of better measures for an objective evaluation o...
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Summary To investigate the effects of an inflammatory model (lipopolysaccharides treatment that causes a cytokine release) on energy-protein metabolism and on liver activity, 5 multiparous cows received 2 iv injections of endotoxin (ETX),... more
Summary To investigate the effects of an inflammatory model (lipopolysaccharides treatment that causes a cytokine release) on energy-protein metabolism and on liver activity, 5 multiparous cows received 2 iv injections of endotoxin (ETX), in their 3rd day after calving. Other 5 cows, in analogous conditions, were used as control (CTR). Cows were routinely monitored for feed intake, health status, metabolic profile, BCS, milk yield and liver biopsy (trigly-cerides). Blood was withdrawn more frequently after ETX treatment, for metabolic- ...
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Research Interests: Lactation, Female, Animals, Dairy Cow, Milk, and 6 moreCattle, Zea mays, Veterinary Sciences, Somatic Cell Count, Silage, and maize silage
Termos de indexação: Ácidos linoléicos. Estudos experimentais. Natação. Ratos. ... OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation associated with moderate swimming training... more
Termos de indexação: Ácidos linoléicos. Estudos experimentais. Natação. Ratos. ... OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation associated with moderate swimming training on body composition, food ...
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Protected denomination of origin (PDO) cheeses have distinctive sensorial characteristics. They can be made only from raw milk possessing specific features, which is processed through the 'art' of the cheesemaker. In general, the... more
Protected denomination of origin (PDO) cheeses have distinctive sensorial characteristics. They can be made only from raw milk possessing specific features, which is processed through the 'art' of the cheesemaker. In general, the distinctive sensorial traits of PDO cheese cannot be achieved under different environmental-production conditions for two main reasons: (1) some milk features are linked to specific animal production systems; (2) cheese ripening is affected by the interaction between milk (specific) and the traditional technology applied to the transformation process (non-specific). Also, the environment for a good ripening stage can be quite specific and not reproducible. With reference to milk, factors of typicality are species and/or breed, pedoclimatic conditions, animal management system and feeding. Other factors that influence cheese quality are milk treatments, milk processing and the ripening procedures. The technology applied to most cheeses currently know...
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Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected grasses inhibit prolactin secretion and reduce milk production in lactating cows. However, we previously showed that prepartum consumption of infected seed throughout the dry period did not inhibit... more
Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected grasses inhibit prolactin secretion and reduce milk production in lactating cows. However, we previously showed that prepartum consumption of infected seed throughout the dry period did not inhibit subsequent milk production and prior exposure to bromocriptine (ergot peptide) actually increased production in the next lactation. To identify changes in the transcriptome and molecular pathways mediating the mammary gland's response to ergot alkaloids in the diet, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on mammary tissues obtained from 22 multiparous Holstein cows exposed to 1 of 3 treatments. Starting at 90 ± 4 d prepartum, cows were fed endophyte-free fescue seed (control; CON), endophyte-free fescue seed plus 3×/wk subcutaneous injections of bromocriptine (BROMO; 0.1 mg/kg of BW), or endophyte-infected fescue seed (INF) as 10% of the diet. Cows were dried off 60 ± 2 d prepartum. Mammary biopsies from 4 (BROMO, INF) or 5 (CON) cows/treatment at...