Brisket Disease Is Associated with Lower Volatile Fatty Acid Production and Altered Rumen Microbiome in Holstein Heifers

Abstract

Brisket disease is heritable but is also associated with non-genetic risk factors and effects of the disease on the rumen microbiome are unknown. Ten Holstein heifers were exposed to the plateau environment for three months and divided into two groups according to the index of brisket disease, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP): brisket disease group (BD, n = 5, mPAP > 63 mmHg) and healthy heifer group (HH, n = 5, mPAP p Ruminococcus and Treponema were significantly decreased in BD heifers (p p Anaerofustis, Campylobacter, and Catonella were negatively correlated with total VFA and acetic acid (R p Blautia, YRC22, Ruminococcus, and Treponema were positively related to total VFA and acetic acid (R > 0.7; p < 0.05). Our findings may be a useful biomarker in future brisket disease work.

Keywords

• brisket disease
• rumen microbiome
• Holstein heifer
• pulmonary artery pressure
• bovine pulmonary hypertension