Investigation of mammary blood flow changes by transrectal colour Doppler sonography in anEscherichia colimastitis model

Abstract

TCDStransrectal colour Doppler sonographyblood flow velocity (m/s) 1 IntroductionBovine mastitis is still ranked among the main production diseases in dairy herds of developed countries (Miller et al. 1993; Rajala-Schultz & Gröhn 1999; Bradley et al. 2007). Approximately, every third cow in Germany suffers from mastitis once per lactation and a financial impact of about € 0.02 per one litre milk produced is estimated (Fehlings 2008). In 2007 nearly 15% of all animal losses in Germany were based on udder diseases, such as mastitis (ADR 2007). Especially, intramammary infections with Escherichia coli (E. coli) very often lead to anacute mastitis with severe clinical effects (Bannermann et al. 2004). Occuring mainly in the peripartum and the early stage of lactation applied therapies are in many cases insufficient or futile (Olde Riekerink et al. 2008). The consequence of failed therapy can be the total loss of individual animals or enormous economic losses during current and / or subsequent lactations (Seegers et al. 2003). A single case of a total animal loss caused by E. coli mastitis leads to an estimated loss of at least € 1800 (costs in case of successful therapy: about € 180).The identification of the inflammatory event at an early stage is not only a basic demand of milk hygiene and an essential precondition for a successful therapy (Grunert 1990), but also an important factor for the limitation of mammary tissue damages (Burvenich et al. 2003) and economic impacts due to yield losses (De Mol & Ouweltjes 2001).Clinical examination, California Mastitis Test (CMT) (Schalm & Noorlander 1957) and bacteriological examinations (BE) are the most common non-invasive methods for diagnosing mastitis. Beyond that, electrical conductivity (EC) has been investigated for years but is still not sufficiently precise for an early detection of an acute mastitis (Hovinen et al. 2006).2 New methods such as measuring volatile components and potentiometric values of milk (Eriksson et al. 2005; Mottram et al. 2007), as well as a new biosensor system that analyses lactose and EC (Culina et al. 2006) or infrared thermography (Hovinen et al. 2008; Colak et al. 2008) are still under development. The need for a non-invasive early detection method not being related to the act of milking (advantage: before first calving, dry period, clinical signs appear before milk changes) is obvious.From studies with invasive blood flow measurements a close relationship between inflammatory processes of the mammary gland and mammary blood flow rate is known (Dhondt et al. 1977a). Effects of metabolic activities of the mammary gland on mammary blood flow seem to be evident (Lough et al. 1990).In this present study a new non-invasive and quantitative method was used for examining the pudendoepigastric trunk by transrectal colour Doppler sonography (TCDS). The investigated vessel section is the only pre-section of the inguinally running external pudic artery, the major supplier of the mammary gland of cows, which is transrectally accessible (Brag...

Supplementation of distiller's grains during late gestation in beef cows consuming low‐quality forage decreases uterine, but not mammary, blood flow

“…Thereafter the probe was directed ventrally so that the external iliac artery was visualised and the external pudendal artery was identified. The external pudendal artery, which branches through the inguinal canal and continues branching down to the udder, was measured and considered as representative of BF to the mammary gland (Götze et al., ; Potapow et al., ; Budras et al., ). Doppler mode was employed to confirm measurement of the artery and not surrounding veins.…”

Relationship between pulsed wave Doppler ultrasonographic features of milk veins and CMT scores in Simmental cows

“…In a transrectal color-Doppler ultrasonographic study investigating blood flow in the pudendoepigastric trunk in experimentally induced Escherichia coli mastitis in cows (14), blood-flow volumes were reported to increase parallel to somatic cell count, demonstrating that transrectal color-Doppler ultrasonography could be used for the early detection of pathological changes in blood flow in early stages of acute mastitis. Similar results were found in the present study.…”

“…Because this vein is superficial and large in cows, and can easily be examined by ultrasonography, which is being used in both scientific and clinical studies (11). Contrary to this approach some researchers have suggested that the pressure applied by ultrasonographic probe on this vein during examination could affect the results (14). However, it is not yet fully understood whether udder metabolism regulates blood supply to udder or vice versa (7,22).…”

<b>Ultrassonografia Doppler do fluxo arterial digital associado à alteração do coxim digital dos bovinos</b>

“…Sabe-se que o aumento da temperatura local é decorrente de aumento da taxa metabolica tecidual acompanhado por aumento da vascularização (ALATA et al, 1996;POTAPOW et al, 2010;PETERSEN, 2013 …”

“…Recentemente, estudos têm demonstrado a eficácia da avaliação ultrassonográfica com Doppler em diferentes condições patológicas, tais como a retenção de secundinas (MAGATA et al, 2013), mamite (POTAPOW et al, 2010) e doenças puerperais (HEPPELMANN et al, 2013b).…”