An Improved Method for the Routine Biopsy of Bovine Mammary Tissue

Abstract

Eight primiparous cows in midlactation were used to determine a method for the mammary biopsy of standing cows in full lactation. Cows were mildly sedated; therefore, preoperative feed withdrawal was not necessary. A core of secretory tissue (0.75 to 1 g) was extracted using a rotating stainless steel cannula with a retractable blade at the cutting edge. Postoperative recovery was rapid, taking only 15 min per cow, and the method was reliable and efficient. The presence of secretory tissue was verified by histology and in situ hybridization with alpha s1-casein and alpha-lactalbumin probes. The capsular end of the core contained more connective tissue, and the parenchyma showed heterogeneous expression of alpha s1-casein and alpha-lactalbumin. Despite some postoperative bleeding, milk yield and composition in the biopsied gland were affected only transiently. Yield recovered by 3.5 d after biopsy, and composition recovered by 6.5 d after biopsy. Yield and composition of milk from the control glands were not affected by the procedure. Biopsy sites healed rapidly and without infection. No clinical mastitis was observed in any of the biopsied cows throughout the remainder of the lactation.

Gene expression of six major milk proteins in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells isolated from milk during the first twenty weeks of lactation

“…In numerous previous studies on mRNA expression, mammary gland tissue was obtained at one or at few time points via intricate biopsies (Farr et al, 1996;Finucane et al, 2008) or once after slaughtering of precious experimental animals (Capuco et al, 2001;Colitti and Pulina, 2010). In those samples, mRNA was extracted directly from all cells or after a preceding step of pBMEC cultivation (Talhouk et al, 1990;Griesbeck-Zilch et al, 2008).…”

Escherichia coli induces apoptosis and proliferation of mammary cells

“…The challenged rear quarters of three cows were biopsied 24 h after bacterial injection from the upper half of the gland, while biopsies from the other three cows were obtained 72 h after bacterial injection, using the biopsy method described by Farr et al 49 The biopsies contained cores of the secretory tissue. A portion of each tissue biopsy was immediately snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at 7808C until protein or RNA extraction.…”

Endoscopic Examination and Tissue Sampling of the Bovine Teat and Udder Cistern

“…In contrast to the prelevation of mammary tissue biopsies through invasive surgery (Knight et al, 1992;Farr et al, 1996) or at necropsy (Cifrian et al, 1994;Berry et al, 2003;Pfaffl et al, 2003), the endoscopic procedure yields much smaller amount of mammary tissue. The limited sample size did not, however, compromise the possible applications of the technique.…”

“…Initially, tissue samples were prelevated from bovine udders at necropsy (Cifrian et al, 1994;Plath et al, 1997). A number of researchers, using surgical prelevation techniques (Knight et al, 1992;Farr et al, 1996;Schmitz et al, 2004), have obtained large tissue samples (1 cm 3 or 30 to 60 mg). Postinvasive complications, however, were multiple, such as blood clots in milk, fistula formation, and mastitis.…”