Relationship between the degree of insulin resistance during late gestation and postpartum performance in dairy cows and factors that affect growth and metabolic status of their calves

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of insulin resistance (IR) during the close-up dry period on the metabolic status and performance of dairy cows as well as to determine the effects on body weight (BW) and metabolic status of their calves. An insulin tolerance test (ITT) was conducted by administering 0.05 IU/kg BW of insulin to 34 multiparous Holstein cows at 3 weeks prepartum. Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 45 and 60 min after insulin injection, and cows were divided into two groups based on the time required for glucose to reach the minimum levels [non-IR (NIR), 45 min (n=28); and IR, 60 min (n=6)]. Blood or milk sampling and body condition score (BCS) estimation were performed twice weekly during the experimental period. Blood samples from calves were collected immediately after birth. Cows with IR showed lower BCS (P<0.05) and serum urea nitrogen (P<0.05) and glucose concentration (P=0.05) before calving, and lower serum non-esterified fatty acid concentration (P<0.05) and milk yield (P<0.05) and earlier resumption of luteal activity (P<0.05) after calving; their calves showed lower BW (P<0.05) and plasma insulin-like growth factor-I concentration (P<0.001) and higher plasma insulin concentration (P<0.05). In conclusion, IR at 3 weeks prepartum in dairy cows is related to postpartum metabolic status and performance along with growth and metabolic status of their calves.

Insulin resistance: Relationship between indices during late gestation in dairy cows and effects on newborn metabolism

“…BCS, serum glucose, NEFA, and T‐Cho concentrations, and serum AST activities were within the standard values for the dry period reported by Kida (). In addition, the changes in plasma concentrations of insulin and leptin, and the serum concentrations of BHB (Zhang, Su, Wang, Cao, & Li, ) and Alb (Kawashima et al, ) during late gestation were within approximately the same ranges as reported previously. Therefore, the herd examined in the present study appeared to have normal levels of the selected metabolites.…”

“…However, little information is currently available regarding the relationships between IR in dairy cows during late gestation, the metabolic status of dams, and their calves. Moreover, although we showed in a previous study that the IR of dairy cows in late gestation is associated with lower calf body weight (BW) immediately after birth (Kawashima et al, ), there is at present no standardized procedure for IR evaluation in cattle, and consequently different studies have tended to adopt different methods.…”

“…The methods of IR evaluation commonly performed for cattle include the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test (HEC), the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and the insulin tolerance test (ITT) (Hayirli, ; Kawashima et al, ; De Koster, Hostens, Hermans, Broeck, & Opsomer, ). However, these methods are not suitable for cattle in late pregnancy, owing to the necessity to inject large amounts of insulin and/or glucose, and to hold the animals while these tests are being performed, which are potential sources of stress for cows and the developing fetus.…”

Expression patterns of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism in cows with subclinical or clinical ketosis

“…Ketosis, present at either a subclinical or clinical level, is a common metabolic condition in modern highproducing dairy cows (Vanholder et al, 2015). Highyielding dairy cows suffer from negative energy balance (NEB) and decreased insulin sensitivity during early lactation because of energy expenditure resulting from milk production and limited feed intake (Yuan et al, 2012;Kawashima et al, 2016). Negative energy balance initiates fat mobilization and a subsequent increase in the blood concentrations of fatty acids (Gross et al, 2013); high concentrations of fatty acids can impair the insulin signaling pathway, thereby decreasing the insulin sensitivity (Barazzoni et al, 2012;Gao et al, 2018).…”

Does maternal size, nutrition and metabolic status affect offspring production traits in domestic species?

“…Indeed, high yielding dairy cattle are prone to insulinoresistance because of their high energy requirements for milk production inducing a negative energy balance and this lactational insulinoresistance can persist for subsequent pregnancies (Bossaert et al, 2008;De Koster and Opsomer, 2013;Zachut et al, 2013;Opsomer et al, 2017). Dairy cows insulinoresistant in late gestation produce lighter calves with reduced IGF1 plasma concentrations and increased insulinemia at birth (Kawashima et al, 2016). Effects on subsequent offspring production have not been studied but epidemiological data indicate a slightly reduced milk yield if offspring from dams inseminated at peak lactation (González-Recio et al, 2012).…”