The objective of this study was to examine the effects of live yeast (LY) supplementation and body condition score (BCS, 1-5 scale) at calving on milk production, metabolic status, and rumen physiology of postpartum (PP) dairy cows. Forty Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were randomly allocated to a 2 × 2 factorial design and blocked by yield, parity, BCS, and predicted calving date. Treatments were body condition at calving (low for BCS ≤3.5 or high for BCS ≥3.75; n=20) and supplementation with LY (2.5 and 10 g of LY/d per cow for pre- and postcalving, respectively; control, no LY supplementation; n=20). The supplement contained 10(9) cfu of Saccharomyces cerevisiae/g (Yea-Sacc(1026) TS, Alltech Inc., Nashville, TN). Daily milk yield, dry matter intake, milk composition, BCS, body weight, and backfat thickness were recorded. Blood samples were harvested for metabolite analysis on d 1, 5, 15, 25, and 35 PP. Liver samples were harvested by biopsy for triacylglycerol (TAG) and glycogen analysis on d 7 precalving, and on d 7 and 21 PP. Rumen fluid was sampled by rumenocentesis for all cows on d 7 and 21 PP. Supplementation with LY had no effect on milk yield, dry matter intake, rumen fluid pH, or blood metabolites concentration of dairy cows with high or low BCS at calving. Feeding LY increased rumen acetate proportion and protozoal population, tended to increase liver glycogen, and decreased rumen ammonia nitrogen during early lactation. Over-conditioned cows at calving had greater body reserve mobilization and milk production and lower feed intake, whereas cows with a moderate BCS at calving had greater feed intake, lower concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate, lower liver TAG and TAG:glycogen ratio, and faster recovery from body condition loss. Additionally, the data suggest that concentrations of liver enzymes in blood might be used as an indicator for liver TAG:glycogen ratio. Results indicate that in the case of this experiment, where the control treatment was associated with an acceptable rumen pH, feeding yeast did not significantly improve indicators of energy status in dairy cows.

Circadian rhythms are innate 24-h cycles in behavioral and biochemical processes that permit physiological anticipation of daily environmental changes. Elucidating the relationship between activity rhythms and circadian patterns of gene expression may contribute to improved human and equine athletic performance. Six healthy, untrained mares were studied to determine whether locomotor activity behavior and skeletal muscle gene expression reflect endogenous circadian regulation. Activity was recorded for three consecutive 48-h periods: as a group at pasture (P), and individually stabled under a light-dark (LD) cycle and in constant darkness (DD). Halter-mounted Actiwatch-L data-loggers recorded light exposure and motor activity. Analysis of mean activity (average counts/min, activity bouts/day, average bout length) and cosinor parameters (acrophase, amplitude, mesor, goodness of fit) revealed a predominantly ultradian (8.9 ± 0.7 bouts/24 h) and weakly circadian pattern of activity in all three conditions (P, LD, DD). A more robust circadian pattern was observed during LD and DD. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the middle gluteal muscles every 4 h for 24 h under DD. One-way qRT-PCR results confirmed the circadian expression (P < 0.05) of six core clock genes (Arntl, Per1, Per2, Nr1d1, Nr1d2, Dbp) and the muscle-specific transcript, Myf6. Additional genes, Ucp3, Nrip1, and Vegfa, demonstrated P values approaching significance. These findings demonstrate circadian regulation of muscle function and imply that human management regimes may strengthen, or unmask, equine circadian behavioral outputs. As exercise synchronizes circadian rhythms, our findings provide a basis for future work determining peak times for training and competing horses, to reduce injury and to achieve optimal performance.

Microcirculatory alterations are thought to be responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality from sepsis. The aim of the present study was to characterize the buccal microvascular response in patients with septic shock using combined laser Doppler flowmetry/visual light spectroscopy measurements.Microvascular measurements were performed daily on the buccal mucosa in 21 consecutive ICU patients within 24 h of the onset of septic shock, in 20 healthy volunteers, and in eight ICU patients after uncomplicated elective surgery (ICU controls).In ICU controls, buccal mucosal flow was higher in the superficial (231.7+/-69.5 vs. 134+/-105.3 arbitrary unit, P=0.03) and lower in the deep (235.3+/-30.8 vs. 376.2+/-107.3 arbitrary unit, P=0.001) channel compared with healthy volunteers; microvascular oxygen haemoglobin saturations (microHbO2) were similar in the two groups. Microvascular flow within 24 h of onset of shock was similar in patients with septic shock and healthy individuals; however, microHbO2 was lower in the deep channel (78.3+/-10.3 vs. 91.1+/-4.5%, P<0.001). Superficial buccal mucosal microHbO2 within 24 h of onset of septic shock was lower in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Superficial buccal mucosal flow increased during the 2nd day of septic shock in survivors and decreased thereafter; microHbO2 decreased steadily.Buccal laser Doppler flowmetry/visual light spectroscopy may be useful for tracing microvascular alterations in critically ill patients. The surgical stress response was associated with alterations in local flow with preserved microHbO2. However, in patients with septic shock, microHbO2 was reduced in the deep channel, probably muscular tissue, with no changes in microvascular flow.

The objective was to investigate measures of neutrophil function in response to banding or burdizzo castration of bulls. Thirty-two Holstein-Friesian bulls (14 mo old, 505 ± 7.8 kg of BW) were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: 1) sham-handled control (CON); 2) banding castration alone (BAND); 3) burdizzo castration alone (BURD); or 4) cortisol infusion (CORT) as a further control group. For each group on d –14, 8 animals (2 animals/treatment) were tied up in tie stalls (day of treatment = d 0). At −2, 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 144 h relative to treatment time, blood samples were collected for analyses of neutrophil phagocytosis and respiratory burst, neutrophil CD62-L expression, and serum IL-8 concentration. Leukocyte counts, phagocytosis activity, and CD62-L expression were similar (P > 0.05) among the 4 treatment groups. The BURD castrates had greater burst activity compared with BAND castrates (P = 0.048) and CON (P = 0.01) at 72 h posttreatment. The BURD castrates had a greater percentage of granulocyte positive leukocytes (Gr%; P < 0.01) at 2 h posttreatment compared with CON and CORT bulls. The BURD castrates had greater (P < 0.05) Gr% compared with BAND, CON, and CORT animals at 24, 48, and 72 h posttreatment. The BURD and BAND castrates had greater Gr% (P < 0.05) compared with CORT bulls at 144 h posttreatment. In general, BAND, BURD, and CORT did not affect serum IL-8 concentration. Banding castration, BURD, and CORT did not induce leukocytosis, whereas BURD induced a modest neutrophilia. Neutrophil functioning in terms of phagocytosis and respiratory burst and serum IL-8 concentration were not compromised by BAND, BURD, and CORT. These findings indicate nonsurgical castration is unlikely to induce a severe acute systemic inflammatory response in terms of neutrophil function. Copyright © 2009. .