Effects of early postpartum sodium salicylate treatment on long-term milk, intake, and blood parameters of dairy cows

Abstract

Previous research has shown that cows who receive treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after calving may have increased milk yield beginning near peak lactation, resulting in greater 305-d milk production. It has not been demonstrated whether this response is associated with greater feed intake following the first 3 wk of lactation. Dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield were measured daily for 56 cows over the first 120 d in milk. Cows in their second parity and greater were blocked by parity and alternately enrolled 12 to 36 h after calving into 1 of 2 treatments: either 3 daily drenches of water or 3 daily drenches of a similar volume of water containing 125 g of sodium salicylate (SAL) beginning 12 to 36 h after calving. Cows were housed in individual stalls to monitor DMI. Blood samples were collected before calving and on the last day of treatment, as well as at 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 35, 49, 63, 77, 91, 105, and 120 d in milk. The SAL treatment did not affect estimated 305-d milk, fat, or protein yields (from monthly test days), daily milk yield or components, energy-corrected milk, fat-corrected milk, or DMI; however, an interaction between parity and treatment was observed for DMI, where second-parity SAL cows had decreased intake with no differences observed in older cows. This resulted in a parity by treatment interaction for the ratio of energy-corrected milk to DMI. Similarly, no main effects of treatment were observed for plasma glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), or fatty acid concentrations, but we noted interactions between treatment and parity for glucose, BHB, and insulin. Older cows had greater plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and decreased plasma BHB following SAL but no differences were observed in second parity animals. Alterations in glucose and insulin resulted in a tendency for a treatment by time interaction for the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. Feeding behavior was also altered following SAL administration, resulting in fewer but longer meals, as well as a tendency for greater meal weight. A tendency for a treatment by week interaction for inter-meal interval was observed, as well as a parity by treatment interaction for meal weight. Despite the lack of a milk yield response, SAL had a prolonged programming effect on feeding behavior and blood variables over the first 120 DIM, with responses largely dependent on parity.

Effects of sodium salicylate on glucose kinetics and insulin signaling in postpartum dairy cows

“…Plasma haptoglobin, the most heavily used biomarker of inflammation in transition cows, had a mean concentration of 510 µg/mL at 5 DIM in this cohort, similar to the median value of 640 µg/mL across 412 cows on 2 commercial farms (Huzzey et al, 2015). However, as in previous work (Carpenter et al, 2016(Carpenter et al, , 2018, salicylate did not decrease plasma haptoglobin concentration or most other biomarkers of inflammatory status (Tables 4 and 5). Nevertheless, salicylate administration clearly influences systemic metabolism in this scenario.…”

Review: Following the smoke signals: inflammatory signaling in metabolic homeostasis and homeorhesis in dairy cattle

“…Further complicating the matter is the 6-week lag prior to milk responses (Carpenter et al, 2016). Extra-mammary mechanisms may be the primary impact of treatment; for example, alterations in feeding behavior could possibly result in greater nutrient supply, allowing the mammary gland to better meet its potential to synthesize milk (Carpenter et al, 2018). On the other hand, more direct effects are also possible.…”

Outcomes from Experimental Testing of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) Administration during the Transition Period of Dairy Cows

“…Subsequent studies have confirmed the results of Bertoni’s study by further explaining how the effects of SS on milk production are influenced by both parity and the basal state of inflammation [ 31 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Farney et al [ 42 ] enrolled in their study both primiparous and pluriparous cows to which SS (≈123 g/d) was administered in water for 7 days.…”

“…NSAIDs that preferentially inhibit COX-1 activity, such as salicylates and Flunexin meglumine, show important side effects like increased risk of retained placenta, culling, or metritis, even if milk production is, on average, improved. In the case of salicylates, cow inflammation levels seem to be important; in fact, in cows with high haptoglobin concentrations, the administration of salicylate positively influences milk production compared to what occurs in cows with lower haptoglobin concentrations [ 31 , 44 ].…”

“…Evidence supporting this hypothesis is provided by the observation of how the presence or absence of an increment in milk yield, milk composition, or milk component yields associated with SS treatment is associated with a different degree of inflammation that cattle experienced at calving, measured as mean haptoglobin concentrations. In one study [ 44 ], haptoglobin concentrations were much less than those measured at similar time points in the previous study [ 31 ]. Both studies followed the same experimental scheme but the results of milk yield and milk component yields were opposite: in cows with lower haptoglobin concentrations, no differences were observed, whereas in cows with higher haptoglobin concentrations, sustained increases in milk yield were observed in SS cows with respect control cows.…”