-The expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-12, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ, by milk somatic cells was characterized by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in dairy cows experimentally challenged with either E. coli (n = 8) or S. aureus (n = 8). The mRNA abundance of a target gene was calibrated with that of a reference gene (β-actin) and expressed as fold of induction over the control quarter at each time point. At no single time point did all eight quarters challenged with the same type of bacteria demonstrated increased expression of a target gene and there was large variation among animals at each given time. As a consequence, most tested comparisons were not statistically significant except the peak time points of IL-8 expression (75-and 29-fold in glands challenged with E. coli and S. aureus, respectively). However, the average fold induction of all targeted cytokines was increased in response to both bacterial challenges with the exception of IFN-γ. The expression of IFN-γ was only increased in milk somatic cells isolated from E. coli, but not S. aureus, challenged mammary glands. Moreover, upregulated expression of cytokine genes had higher magnitudes and/or faster responses in glands challenged with E. coli in comparison with those challenged with S. aureus. We propose that the compromised upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in S. aureus infected glands may, at least partially, contribute to the chronic course of infection caused by this pathogen. Further research on identifying factors responsible for the differentially expressed cytokine profiles may be fundamental to developing strategies that mitigate the outcome of bovine mastitis. mastitis / cytokine / Escherichia coli / Staphylococcus aureus / SCC

: Oats and probiotics have long been recognized for their health benefits. The objectives of this study were (1) to study the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum (B‐28), Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. casei (B‐29) isolated from a traditional Bulgarian cereal‐based fermented beverage, and Lactobacillus acidophilus from Chr. Hansen, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A., to remove cholesterol from the media and to adhere to the Caco‐2 cell line, (2) to optimize the fermentation conditions to develop a beverage using these probiotics and oats with acceptable sensory and nutritional qualities, and (3) to assess the quality and shelf‐life of this beverage and survivability of probiotics in the beverage. Lactobacillus acidophilus, B‐28, and B‐29 were found to remove 70.67%± 2.35%, 20.26%± 2.63%, and 16.75%± 3.83% of cholesterol from media and the percentage of adhesion was 4.69%± 0.78%, 1.92%± 0.78%, and 8.36%± 0.78%, respectively. The blend of oat flour, sugar, inulin, and whey protein concentrate was cooked in water and fermented for 12 h at 37°C by 2 ± 106 colony‐forming units (CFU) /mL each of B‐28 and B‐29 and 2 ± 108 CFU/mL of L. acidophilus. The beverage had 0.87%± 0.03% of dietary fiber and had better sensory qualities compared with the commercially available similar product. The probiotics survived for 10 wk of storage at 4°C, except for L. acidophilus, which survived for about 4 wk. The population of B‐28 was 1.77 ± 106 to 1.29 ± 107 CFU/mL and that of B‐29 was 7.39 ± 107 to 4.49 ± 108 CFU/mL throughout the storage period. The oat‐based symbiotic beverage is a functional drink providing both probiotics and prebiotics at the same time.