BACKGROUND: The decreases in insulin sensitivity and extensive perinatal lipolysis are common causes of metabolic diseases related to energy metabolism in ewes. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to study the effect of organic zinc on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance indices in early lactating ewes. METHODS: 18 Ghezel ewes were divided into three groups based on organic zinc supplementation, including CTR: (basal diet without Zinc), LZn: (basal diet supplemented with 30 mg Zn/kgDM) and group 3, HZn: (basal diet supplemented with 300 mg Zn/kgDM). RESULTS: The results of this study showed no significant differences between the experimental groups in glucose, NEFAs, BHB, cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin concentrations. Furthermore, the effect of zinc on the insulin to glucose ratio was not significant among the experimental groups (p < /em>>0.05). Supplementation of zinc-methionine significantly increased serum zinc concentration in ewes (p < /em><0.001). The area under the curve (AUC60, AUC120) was the highest for the control group and LZn and the lowest for HZn group (p < /em><0.05). The rate of glucose clearance in zinc-methionine supplement recipients was higher compared to the control group. The time to reach half maximal glucose concentration in zinc treated ewes was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < /em><0.001), indicating an improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that Zinc is effective in improving the NEB and preventing insulin resistance in early lactation. It is possible that in sheep, the tissue responsiveness to insulin is enhanced with dietary Zn supplementation, and present findings suggest that dietary Zn-Met may improve energy balance and insulin resistance in lactating ewes.

A radioimmunoassay test for tetracyclines (Charm II) was compared with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) for detection of oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in milk samples from individual lactating cows. Oxytetracycline was administered by 1 of 3 routes (IV, IM, or intrauterine) to 21 lactating dairy cows. A total of 292 duplicate milk samples were collected from milkings before and through 156 hours after OTC administration. Concentration of OTC in these samples was determined by use of the Charm II test and an HPLC method with a lower limit of quantitation, approximately 2 ng of OTC/ml. Samples were also classified with respect to presence of OTC residues relative to the FDA safe concentration (less than or equal to 30 ng/ml), using the Charm II (by control point determination) and HPLC methods. There was a significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) difference between test methods in classification of milk samples with respect to presence or absence of OTC at the FDA safe concentration. A total of 48 of the 292 test results (16.4%) did not agree. Using the HPLC test results as the standard with which Charm II test results were compared, 47 false presumptive-violative test results and 1 false presumptive-nonviolative Charm II test result (a sample containing 31 ng of OTC/ml, as evaluated by HPLC) were obtained. The samples with false presumptive-violative Charm II results contained (less than or equal to 30 ng of OTC/ml, as evaluated by HPLC. In some respects, the Charm II test performed appropriately as a screening test to detect OTC residues in milk samples from individual cows. However, the tendency for the test to yield presumptive-violative test results at OTC concentrations lower than the FDA safe concentration (as evaluated by HPLC), suggests that caution should be exercised in using the test as the sole basis on which a decision is made to reject milk.

Body condition scoring (using a 5-point with quarter-point divisions) was performed on 66 Holstein dairy cows that began their second or later lactation in August, September, or October 1988. Cows' body condition was scored beginning on postpartum day 4 (+/- 1) and subsequently at postpartum days (+/- 1) 18, 32, 46, 60, 73 and 87. Blood samples were obtained on the same dates. Reproductive health examinations were conducted by 1 of 2 veterinarians beginning at postpartum day 21. Reproductive performance was evaluated in relation to body condition score and serum urea nitrogen and cholesterol concentrations. Number of days to first recorded signs of estrus and first breeding were not related to body condition score at calving, amount of condition loss, cumulative 80-day milk yield, or 305-day fat corrected milk yield. Cows that calved with body condition score greater than or equal to 3.50 required more days to conceive. Cows losing > 0.75 points of condition had longer days of conception. Body condition score at calving and amount of condition lost were not related to services per conception or diagnosis of follicular cyst. Cumulative 80-day milk yield was not related to days to conception or services per conception. Cows that produced greater than or equal to the mean 305-day milk yield required more services and had longer days to conception than cows that produced < the mean 305-day milk yield. Cows with diagnosis of ovarian follicular cysts had greater cumulative 80- and 305-day milk yields than did cows that were not diagnosed with follicular cysts. Cows conceiving with less than or equal to 2 services did not differ in average daily milk production, body condition score, or serum urea nitrogen concentration from cows conceiving with > 2 services, but cows that conceived with less than or equal to 2 services had higher serum cholesterol values than did cows requiring more services.

Bovine mammary glands were inoculated intracisternally with a streptomycin-resistant (SR) strain of Corynebacterium bovis to determine the number of colony-forming units (CFU) required to induce colonization and to maintain persistence of C bovis colonization throughout lactation and involution. Streptomycin resistance was used as a strain marker. Uninfected quarters in cows during midlactation were challenge exposed with successively higher numbers of SR C bovis until all quarters became colonized. Inoculum containing 790 CFU of SR C bovis established colonization in only 7 of 38 quarters. Colonization persisted in only 4 of these quarters by 23 days after inoculation. Eleven quarters were reinoculated with higher numbers of SR C bovis, and all became colonized by the time challenge-exposure inoculum contained 8 X 10(4) CFU. Colonization persisted throughout the 93-day experimental period. Somatic cell counts were significantly (P less than 0.01) higher in SR C bovis-colonized quarters after inoculation than before. Sixteen additional quarters were inoculated with a mean number of 8 X 10(4) CFU of SR C bovis 7 days before suppression of lactation. All quarters became colonized, and SR C bovis was shed during the experimental period; throughout the nonlactating and peripartum periods, high numbers of SR C bovis in pure culture were shed from 13 of 16 quarters.

Intramammary devices (IMD) were abraded with medium-grade emery cloth or were left smooth. One IMD of each type was inserted into a mammary quarter of each of 5 lactating cows. The remaining 2 quarters served as controls. Quarter foremilk, bucket milk, and stripping milk samples were collected for 3 consecutive days at 2 weeks after IMD insertion, and milk somatic cell counts (SCC) were determined. Milk samples also were collected immmediately after and 0.5, 1,2,4,6,8, and 11 hours after milking. All quarters were challenge exposed with 250 colony-forming units of Streptococcus uberis at 2 months after IMD insertion. Foremilk and stripping milk samples were collected for bacteriologic culture and SCC at the next 10 milkings. Mean foremilk, bucket milk, and stripping milk SCC (X 10(6) cells/ml) were 0.18, 0.07, and 0.91, respectively, for quarters with abraded IMD; 0.06, 0.05, and 0.43, respectively, for quarters with smooth IMD; and 0.03, 0.03, and 0.15, respectively, for control quarters. Mean SCC after milking ( X 10(6) cells/ml) for the various intervals were 0.70, 1.29, 0.70, 0.97, 1.15, 1.17, 0.77, and 0.85 for quarters with abraded IMD; 0.43, 0.62, 0.61, 0.45, 0.64, 0.60, 0.31, and 0.26 for quarters with smooth IMD; and 0.15, 0.24, 0.15, 0.19, 0.15, 0.15, 0.14, and 0.06 for control quarters. After challenge exposure, 2 of 5 of the quarters with abraded IMD, 4 of 5 of the quarters with smooth IMD, and 8 of 9 of control quarters became infected. Results indicated that abraded IMD increased SCC in stripping milk to concentrations that provided 60% protection against challenge exposure with S uberis.

Because caffeine is metabolized by the hepatic P-450 cytochrome oxidase system, clearance of caffeine is an excellent quantitative test of hepatic function in human beings. It is currently used in much the same way that creatinine clearance is used to assess renal function. Caffeine clearance was measured in lactating dairy cows initially to determine the suitability of caffeine clearance as an indicator of hepatic function in cattle. Pharmacokinetic variables of caffeine were studied in 6 adult lactating dairy cows after IV administration of a single dose of caffeine sodium benzoate (2 mg of caffeine/kg of body weight). Caffeine concentration was analyzed by use of an automated enzyme immunoassay. The lower limit of detection of the assay for caffeine in serum was 0.079 micrograms/ml. Serum caffeine concentration-time curves best fit an open two-compartment pharmacokinetic model. Harmonic mean elimination half-life was 3.8 (range, 2.6 to 6.9) hours, and total clearance was 0.118 (range, 0.090 to 0.197) L/kg/h. Milk caffeine concentration was similar to serum concentration 1.5 to 24 hours after caffeine administration. Adverse effects were not observed in cows given caffeine.

Samples of serum and urine were obtained simultaneously from 56 healthy lactating cows to determine ranges of fractional excretion (FE) of calcium (Ca), phosphate (PO4), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chloride (Cl). Samples were obtained at 3 stages of lactation: period 1 = 1 to 7 days, 2 = 83 to 112 days, and 3 = 175 to 197 days. The FE of electrolytes were significantly different among periods 1, 2, and 3 for Ca (P < 0.001), PO4 (P < 0.025) and Mg (P < 0.025), but were not significantly different for Na, K, and Cl. Least squares mean FE of Ca was lowest in period 1 and not significantly different for periods 2 and 3, whereas mean FE values for PO4 and Mg were highest in period 2 and not significantly different for periods 1 and 3. The mean FE values of Na, K, and Cl did not change with stage of lactation. Age and category of milk production (high, medium, and low) did not influence the FE values of the electrolytes.