70 research outputs found
Milk microbiome: evaluation study on the differences among cows with a different health status classified by leukocyte pattern
No full textSubmitted 2020-06-30 | Accepted 2020-07-25 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.67-73Milk is considered not only a source of nutrient for the offspring but also a font of immunoregulatory compounds capable to predispose the naïve intestinal immune system of the new-born to react to the external environment. In the present study we evaluated the composition of milk microbiome from cows classified according to milk total and differential somatic cell counts. A total of 34, 13 and 13 milk samples of healthy, at risk and subclinical or chronic cows, respectively, were collected during the same milking from a local dairy herd. Through Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of bacterial 16S rRNA gene, the differences of taxa in terms of relative abundances (RA) and alpha and beta biodiversity were analysed. The RA of several genera were statistically significant in the three groups, such as Arcanobacterium (p=0.001), Rhodococccus (p<0.05) and Rubrobacter (p<0.05), while at species level the presence of Propionibacterium granulosum, Pseudomonas alcaligenes and Prosthecobacter debontii were found. Shannon and Evenness indices computed at the genus level were not significant, while beta biodiversity showed a clear clusterization between groups. The results highlighted that milk microbiome is associated to a different cellular response at udder level, although more specific studies are needed to assess the source of bacteria species identified in milk microbial population of healthy animals.Keywords: milk microbiome; bovine; mastitis; differential cell countReferencesBOLYEN. E.; RIDEOUT. J.R.; DILLON. M.R.; BOKULICH. N.A.; ABNET. C.C.; AL-GHALITH. G.A.; ALEXANDER. H.; ALM. E.J.; ARUMUGAM, M.; ASNICAR. F.; et al. (2019). 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Current Research on Infectious Diseases of Domestic Animals from a One Health Perspective
No full textOne Health is a well-known strategy for promoting and developing interdisciplinary collaboration across all aspects of health in human, animal, and environmental domains [...
Modeling Mastitis Risk Management Effects on Dairy Milk Yield and Global Warming Potential
No full textMastitis represents a significant challenge for dairy farming, resulting in economic losses and environmental impacts. This study assesses a model for the evaluation of the impact of mastitis on dairy productivity and Global Warming Potential (GWP) under diverse management scenarios. The model considers a range of factors, including bedding materials, milking systems, health surveillance, and overcrowding. The results of the simulation demonstrate that effective management, encompassing the utilization of sand bedding, and the presence of an annual herd health monitoring plan have the potential to reduce the prevalence of mastitis and enhance milk yield by up to 10% in milking parlors and 7% in automatic milking systems. At the herd level, the GWP ranged from 1.37 to 1.78 kg CO2eq/kg Fat- and Protein-Corrected Milk (FPCM), with the use of sand bedding resulting in a 14% reduction in GWP, while the utilization of non-composted manure-based materials led to an increase of 12%. The occurrence of overcrowding and a lack of adequate cleanliness in resting areas were found to have a markedly detrimental impact on both productivity and the environmental performance of cows. These findings illustrate the dual benefits of enhanced mastitis management, namely improved milk production and reduced environmental impact. They offer valuable insights for farmers and policymakers alike
Characterization of Microbiome on Feces, Blood and Milk in Dairy Cows with Different Milk Leucocyte Pattern
No full textMastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland, caused by the invasion of microorganism on this site, associated with an altered immune response. Recent studies in this field hypothesize that the origin of these pathogens can also be from the gastrointestinal tract, through the entero-mammary pathway in relation to an increase in gut permeability. In this study, we wanted to investigate if inflammatory status of the mammary gland is related to an alteration of gut permeability. The microbiome of feces, blood and milk of lactating cows, recruited on the basis of the total somatic cell count and of the percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and lymphocytes, was studied. Cows were divided into healthy (G), at risk of mastitis (Y) and with mastitis (R) classifications. The bacterial DNA was extracted and the V3 and V4 regions of 16S rRNA sequenced. Moreover, the quantification of total bacteria was performed with quantitative real-time PCR. A non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test was applied at the phylum, family and genera levels and beta biodiversity was evaluated with the unweighted UniFrac distance metric. Significant differences between groups were found for the microbial composition of feces (Clostridiaceae, Turicibacteriaceae for family level and Clostridium, Dorea, SMB53 and Turicibacter for genus level), blood (Tenericutes for phylum level and Mycoplasma for genus level) and milk (OD1 and Proteobacteria for phylum level, Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxallaceae for family level and Olsenella and Rhodococcus for genus level). The beta biodiversity of feces and blood did not change between groups. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the beta diversity in milk of G group and Y group and between Y group and R group. The number of taxa in common between feces, blood and milk were 8 at a phylum, 19 at a family and 15 at a genus level. From these results, the bacterial crossing from gut to milk in cows was not confirmed but remained hypothetical and deserves further investigation.
Simple Summary
Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland caused by microorganisms and associated with an altered immune response. Recently, several studies hypothesized that a translocation of some bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the mammary gland can occur and that this bacterial crossing could be the cause of certain mastitis. The aim of this research is to investigate the bacteria translocation from the gut to the mammary gland, the so-called entero-mammary pathway, through the study of the fecal, blood and milk microbiome. Cows were recruited on the basis of their mammary gland health status and classified as healthy, at risk of mastitis and with mastitis. The microbial composition of feces, blood and milk were analyzed through high-throughput sequencing technique and the results were checked through a quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Although small differences were found in the microbiome of these three specimens between the groups of animals, beta biodiversity, that is, the ratio between whole and individual species diversity, highlighted a microbial community change in the milk of cows with different udder health conditions. The three matrices shared a high number of taxa; however, our results do not confirm a bacterial crossing from gut to milk, that still remains hypothetical
Assessment of Sensitivity and Profitability of an Intravaginal Sensor for Remote Calving Prediction in Dairy Cattle
No full textOne critical point of dairy farm management is calving and neonatal first care. Timely calving assistance is associated with the reduction of calf mortality and postpartum uterine disease, and with improved fertility in dairy cattle. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and profitability of an intravaginal sensor for the prediction of stage II of labor in dairy farms, thus allowing proper calving assistance. Seventy-three late-gestating Italian Holstein cows were submitted to the insertion of an intravaginal device, equipped with light and temperature sensors, connected with a Central Unit for the commutation of a radio-signal into a cell phone alert. The remote calving alarm correctly identified the beginning of the expulsive phase of labor in 86.3% of the monitored cows. The mean interval from alarm to complete expulsion of the fetus was 71.56 ± 52.98 min, with a greater range in cows with dystocia (p = 0.012). The sensor worked correctly in both cold and warm weather conditions, and during day- or night-time. The intravaginal probe was well tolerated, as any cow showed lesions to the vaginal mucosa after calving. Using sex-sorted semen in heifers and beef bull semen in cows at their last lactation, the economic estimation performed through PrecisionTreeTM software led to an income improvement of 119 € and 123 €/monitored delivery in primiparous and pluriparous cows, respectively. Remote calving alarm devices are key components of “precision farming” management and proven to improve animal welfare, to reduce calf losses and to increase farm income
Assessment of epithelial cells’ immune and inflammatory response to Staphylococcus aureus when exposed to a macrolide
No full textNon-specific (innate) immune response plays a major role in defending the udder from bacterial
invasion. Moreover, recent investigations suggest that mammary gland epithelial cells (MGEC)
could have a large and important role as a source of soluble components of immune defences.
Despite many attempts to find other ways to control/prevent mastitis (i.e. vaccine) antimicrobial
therapy is still the most used and effective means of curing clinical and subclinical mastitis.
However, drug concentrations and therapy durations are far from the optimal in order to reduce
costs. Therefore, efficacy of antimicrobial therapy is dependent not only on the substance
activity but also on the positive interactions with the host innate immune response. Surprisingly,
information on these interactions is rather scarce in the mastitis field. A simple experimental
model was developed based on BME-UV cell line, Staphylococcus aureus as a challenge and a
macrolide as an antimicrobial to assess the interactions among epithelial cells, Staph. aureus
and the potential effects of antimicrobials on the immune system. The results of this study
confirmed that tylosin has good antimicrobial activity against both intracellular and extracellular
Staph. aureus in bovine MGEC without affecting cell functions. In this study, a significant downregulation
of IL-1 and IL-6 was observed, while TNF and IL-8 expression rate numerically
increased, but differences were not significant. To our knowledge, this is the first paper assessing
the concentration of two lysosomal enzymes, lysozyme and N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase
(NAGase), in Staph. aureus-stimulated MGEC. The results of this study confirmed that tylosin
could have a significant effect on the release of these enzymes. Moreover, even if both enzymes
have a similar substrate as a target, the results suggest different secretion mechanisms and an
influence of antimicrobial treatment on these mechanisms. Successful mastitis cure is the result
of achieving the optimal efficiency of both innate immune defences and therapeutical activities,
by means of killing bacteria without eliciting an excessive inflammatory response. Therefore,
antimicrobials for mastitis therapy should be selected not only on bacterial sensitivity, but also
for their positive interactions with the innate immune response of the mammary gland. This
study showed that an in-vitro model based on Staph. aureus challenge on MGEC could be
helpful in assessing both the intracellular and extracellular activity of antimicrobials and their
influence on epithelial cell immune and inflammatory response
Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors in evasion from innate immune defenses in human and animal diseases
No full textIn the last decades, Staphylococcus aureus acquired a dramatic relevance in human and veterinary
medicine for different reasons, one of them represented by the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant
strains. However, antibiotic resistance is not the only weapon in the arsenal of S. aureus. Indeed,
these bacteria have plenty of virulence factors, including a vast ability to evade host immune defenses.
The innate immune system represents the first line of defense against invading pathogens. This system
consists of three major effector mechanisms: antimicrobial peptides and enzymes, the complement
system and phagocytes. In this review, we focused on S. aureus virulence factors involved in the immune
evasion in the first phases of infection: TLR recognition avoidance, adhesins affecting immune response
and resistance to host defenses peptides and polypeptides.
Studies of innate immune defenses and their role against S. aureus are important in human and veterinary
medicine given the problems related to S. aureus antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, due to
the pathogen ability to manipulate the immune response, these data are needed to develop efficacious
vaccines or molecules against S. aureu
Study on prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) antibodies in 29 Italian dairy herds with reproductive problems
No full textAn epidemiological survey on prevalence distribution of antibodies to BVDV was carried out in dairy cattle herds during 1995-1996 in northern Italy. A total of 704 serum samples from 29 non-vaccinated herds reported to have reproductive problems were tested for serum neutralising antibodies. In each herd, sampling was based on the stratification by age into five classes (< 6 months old calves, 6-12 months old calves, pregnant heifers, uniparous, pluriparous). Overall, 53.3% of samples were serologically positive, with the lowest ratio in 6-12 months old calves (37.9%) and the highest in pluriparous cows (71.2%)
Effects of herd and physiological status on variation of 16 immunological and inflammatory parameters in dairy cows during drying off and the transition period
No full textDuring drying off and transition period, cows are subject to changes in endocrine status, metabolic stressors and altered immune functions, which could lead to an increased risk of disease. To expand our knowledge on the immune/inflammatory status and to identify markers to define cow status during this interval, the pattern of 9 different cellular parameters, 5 cytokines, 2 enzymes and 3 cellular ratios in blood samples were assessed in 15 primiparous cows belonging to three different dairy herds in Lombardy. Our data showed that the variation of almost all parameters was influenced by the physiological period in which the samples were collected, except for apoptosis, IL-1β, IL-6, lysozyme and granulocyte/monocyte ratio. Several markers were directly correlated either to the herd alone (IL-1β, IL-6, lysozyme, granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio and granulocyte/monocyte ratio) or in association with the sampling time (white blood cell count, necrosis, lymphocytes count, CD4+ lymphocytes proportion). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three herd-associated sample clusters showing different frequency along the follow-up period. The results of this field study highlight the importance of the herd factor in the immune/inflammatory response. Furthermore, these results suggest that cellular parameters are probably the most suitable markers to define cow status during drying-off and the peripartum period
Regulatory Role of microRNA of Milk Exosomes in Mastitis of Dairy Cows
No full textThe aim of this study was to compare the cargos of miRNA in exosomes isolated from the milk of healthy (H) cows, cows at risk of mastitis (ARM), and cows with subclinical mastitis (SCM). Based on the number of somatic cells and the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells, 10 cows were assigned to group H, 11 to group ARM, and 11 to group SCM. After isolating exosomes in milk by isoelectric precipitation and ultracentrifugation, the extracted RNA was sequenced to 50 bp long single reads, and these were mapped against Btau_5.0.1. The resulting 225 miRNAs were uploaded to the miRNet suite, and target genes for Bos taurus were identified based on the miRTarBase and miRanda databases. The list of differentially expressed target genes resulting from the comparisons of the three groups was enriched using the Function Explorer of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. A total of 38, 18, and 12 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE, p < 0.05) in the comparisons of H vs. ARM, ARM vs. SCM, and H vs. SCM, respectively. Only 1 DE miRNA was shared among the three groups (bta-mir-221), 1 DE miRNA in the H vs. SCM comparison, 9 DE miRNAs in the ARM vs. SCM comparison, and 21 DE miRNAs in the H vs. ARM comparison. A comparison of the enriched pathways of target genes from the H, SCM, and ARM samples showed that 19 pathways were differentially expressed in the three groups, while 56 were expressed in the H vs. SCM comparison and 57 in the H vs. ARM comparison. Analyzing milk exosome miRNA cargos can be considered as a promising approach to study the complex molecular machinery set in motion in response to mastitis in dairy cows
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