Effects of Seasonal Heat Stress during Late Gestation on Growth Performance, Metabolic and Immuno-Endocrine Parameters of Calves

Cheng Tang; Yan Liang; Jiahe Guo; Mengqi Wang; Mingxun Li; Huimin Zhang; Abdelaziz Adam Idriss Arbab; Niel A. Karrow; Zhangping Yang; Yongjiang Mao

doi:10.3390/ani12060716

Animals (Mar 2022)

Effects of Seasonal Heat Stress during Late Gestation on Growth Performance, Metabolic and Immuno-Endocrine Parameters of Calves

Cheng Tang,
Yan Liang,
Jiahe Guo,
Mengqi Wang,
Mingxun Li,
Huimin Zhang,
Abdelaziz Adam Idriss Arbab,
Niel A. Karrow,
Zhangping Yang,
Yongjiang Mao

Affiliations

Cheng Tang: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Yan Liang: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Jiahe Guo: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Mengqi Wang: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Mingxun Li: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Huimin Zhang: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Abdelaziz Adam Idriss Arbab: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Niel A. Karrow: Center for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Zhangping Yang: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Yongjiang Mao: Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060716
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 6
p. 716

Abstract

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Heat stress during late gestation could affect subsequent lactation performance, resulting in damage to the immune function, health, and growth performance of calves. This study aimed to compare the effects of 33 days of summer stress (Summer group, 70.15 n = 28; Winter, n = 23) were separated from cows immediately after birth and fed with 2 L colostrum within 2 h and 8–10 h after birth, respectively, and weaned at 60 days of age. Bodyweight (BW) was measured at birth and weaning. Withers height (WH), body length, and chest girth were measured at birth, 30 days, and 60 days of age. The health of calves ranging in age from 1 to 7 days was recorded. Plasma interferon-γ (IFN-γ), superoxide dismutase (SOD), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), IgG, cortisol, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), growth hormone (GH), insulin, lipid peroxide (LPO), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured in calves at 0 (before colostrum feeding), 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days of age. The pregnancy period of the Summer group was shortened by 1.44 days. The Winter and Summer groups had the same birth weight. One week after birth, the incidence of diarrhea was 57.14% and 21.74% in Summer and Winter groups, respectively. Compared with the Winter group, TNF-α in the Summer group increased significantly before colostrum feeding. ACTH and LPO decreased significantly at 3 days of age, ACTH and TNF-α decreased significantly at 7 days of age, Hsp70 increased significantly, ACTH was significantly reduced at 14 days of age, and Hsp70 increased dramatically at 7 days of age. SOD and TNF-α increased statistically at 28 days of age, LPO decreased significantly, and IFN-γ decreased significantly at 56 days of age, while IgG and GH increased significantly. We conclude that maternal heat stress during late gestation can damage the oxidative stress and immune plasma indexes of offspring before weaning.

Published in Animals

ISSN: 2076-2615 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture: Veterinary medicine; Science: Zoology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/

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