Heat stress poses a major threat to dairy cattle productivity, particularly in high-producing Holstein cows. To identify robust biomarkers of thermotolerance, we employed an integrative strategy combining physiological phenotyping, blood metabolite profiling, and transcriptomic analysis. A total of 120 lactating Holstein cows were evaluated under natural summer heat conditions using rectal temperature, respiratory rate, salivation index, serum HSP70, cortisol, potassium levels, and milk production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCD36 is a multifunctional lipid transporter that facilitates long-chain fatty acid uptake and orchestrates metabolic signaling in energy-demanding tissues. Recent studies have uncovered site-specific palmitoylation as a crucial post-translational modification that governs CD36 subcellular trafficking, stabilizing its localization within lipid rafts and regulating its endocytic recycling between the plasma membrane, endosomes, and lipid droplets. This dynamic palmitoylation-depalmitoylation cycle enables CD36 to spatially and temporally couple lipid transport with signal transduction in response to nutritional and hormonal cues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in fatty acid composition of human breast milk from Holstein cows, Jersey cows, Saanen goats, and humans at different lactation period and to find possible substitute milk for breast milk.
Methods: In this study, human breast milk, Saanen milk, Holstein milk, and Jersey milk were collected at different lactation stages. Gas chromatography (GC-MS) was used to determine the fatty acid composition of breast milk, Saanen milk, goat's milk, Holstein cow's milk and Jersey cows at different stages of lactation.
Anim Microbiome
April 2025
Heat stress poses a significant challenge to dairy cattle, leading to adverse physiological effects, reduced milk yield, impaired reproduction performance and economic losses. This study investigates the role of the rumen microbiome in mediating heat resistance in dairy cows. Using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, we classified 120 dairy cows into heat-resistant (HR) and heat-sensitive (HS) groups based on physiological and biochemical markers, including rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), salivation index (SI) and serum levels of potassium ion (K), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and cortisol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
March 2025
Holstein and Jersey cows, as excellent dairy breeds, have their own advantages in milk yield, milk quality, disease resistance, and heat resistance. However, the adaptability and rumen microbiome changes in Holstein and Jersey cows under heat stress are not clear. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to compare the differences in heat tolerance and the changes in the ruminal microbiome in Holstein and Jersey cows under heat stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of antibiotics is the preferred therapy for bacterial diseases. However, overusing antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which is now a major public health concern. Therefore, in this study, the performance of lysozyme (LYZ)/tracheal antimicrobial peptide (TAP)-based tissue-specific expression antimicrobial plasmids (TSEAP) have been evaluated in the treatment of mastitis in mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bovine mastitis significantly impacts the dairy industry, causing economic losses through reduced milk production, lower milk quality, and increased health risks, and early detection is critical for effective treatment. This study analyzed milk electrical conductivity data from 9,846 Chinese Holstein cows over a two-year period, collected during three daily milking sessions, alongside smart collar data and dairy herd improvement test results. The aim was to conduct a comprehensive genetic analysis and assess the potential of milk electrical conductivity as a biomarker for the early detection of bovine subclinical mastitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well known that crossbreds show many advantages over purebreds in improving calf health traits, but the immunological factors responsible for this heterosis remain largely unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the cellular immune responses and antibodies of Holstein (HO) and Montbéliarde-sired × Holstein (MH) F1 generation female calves, and investigate the effects of crossbreeding on the immunity. Fifty three-month-old healthy female calves (25 HO, 25 MH) were selected meticulously in a farm with the same criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
October 2024
The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between calf birth traits and their susceptibility to diseases before reaching adulthood. A total of 5253 birth traits of Chinese Holstein calves were examined, including gestation length (GL), calf weight at birth (CW), and calving ease score (CES), which ranges from 1 (easy) to 5 (very difficult). Furthermore, monthly medical records were scrutinized for pneumonia and diarrhea in these calves.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBody shape traits are very important and play a crucial role in the economic development of dairy farming. By improving the accuracy of selection for body size traits, we can enhance economic returns across the dairy industry and on farms, contributing to the future profitability of the dairy sector. Registered body conformation traits are reliable and cost-effective tools for use in national cattle breeding selection programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nutritional value of goat milk is determined by the composition of its fatty acids, with particular importance placed on the role of unsaturated fatty acids in promoting human health. CircRNAs have been known to affect fatty acid metabolism through different pathways. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to construct expression profiles of mammary tissue harvested during the dry period and peak lactation stages of dairy goats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
June 2024
Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are dysregulated in a variety of human diseases and are highly involved in the development and progression of tumors. Studies on lncRNAs associated with cow mastitis have been lagging behind compared to humans or model animals, therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of LncRNAs (CMR) involved in autoprotection against S. aureus mastitis in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells (BMECs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Comprehending the correlation between body conformation traits of cows at the early stages of lactation and prevalent lactation diseases might facilitate the execution of selection and feeding strategies that prioritize cow health. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of body conformation traits on the incidence of clinical mastitis and lameness in Chinese Holstein cows. From a pasture herd of 1472 early lactating Chinese Holstein cows, we evaluated 20 body conformation traits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
December 2023
Milk production traits are the most important quantitative economic traits in dairy cow production; improving the yield and quality of milk is an important way to ensure the production efficiency of the dairy industry. This study carried out a series of in-depth statistical genetics studies and molecular analyses on the Chinese Holstein cows in the Jiangsu Province, such as descriptive statistics and copy number variation analysis. A genetic correlation, phenotypic correlation, and descriptive statistical analysis of five milk production traits (milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk fat yield, milk protein percentage, and milk protein yield) of the dairy cows were analyzed using the SPSS and DMU software.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs the global population grows, the demand for beef and dairy products is also increasing. The cattle industry is facing tremendous pressures and challenges. The expanding cattle industry has led to an increased risk of disease in cattle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccination plays a crucial role in the prevention and control of FMD; however, outbreaks persist occurring worldwide. Assessing the immune response to FMD vaccines is essential for effective prevention of FMD. In this study, a seven-color flow cytometry protocol was developed to systematically evaluate the T-cell response of Chinese Holstein cows vaccinated with FMD bivalent inactivated vaccine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBovine mastitis is one of the most serious and costly disease affecting dairy cattle production. The present study explored the inflammatory response and autoprotective mechanism of a novel specific high expression BMNCR (bovine mastitis related long non-coding RNA) in induced mastitis by miR-145/CBFB axis in dairy cows from the perspective of molecular genetics. In bovine mammary epithelial cells, we preformed loss of function experiments to detect changes in cytokine, proliferation and apoptosis by qRT-PCR, western blot, flow cytometry and EdU staining.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
September 2023
Animals (Basel)
July 2023
The objective of this study was to explore the effect of dam body conformations on birth traits including stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and birth weight of Chinese Holstein calves and to provide a reference for improving cow reproductive performance. We collected phenotype data on 20 conformation traits of Chinese Holstein cows and analyzed the impact of dam conformation trait linear scores on stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and calf birth weight. The feet angle, set of rear legs, fore udder attachment and rear attachment height traits of the dairy cows significantly affected the risk of stillbirth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetics
December 2023
Nutrient metabolism is required to maintain energy balance in animal organisms, and fatty acids play an irreplaceable role in fat metabolism. In this study, microRNA sequencing was performed on mammary gland tissues collected from cows during early, peak, and late lactation to determine miRNA expression profiles. Differentially expressed miRNA (miR-497) was selected for functional studies of fatty acid substitution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLactation initiation refers to a functional change in the mammary organ from a non-lactating state to a lactating state, and a series of cytological changes in the mammary epithelium from a non-secreting state to a secreting state. Like the development of the mammary gland, it is regulated by many factors (including hormones, cytokines, signaling molecules, and proteases). In most non-pregnant animals, a certain degree of lactation also occurs after exposure to specific stimuli, promoting the development of their mammary glands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF