Abstract
Simple SummaryAs global temperatures rise, thermal stress can be a major problem affecting cows. If they are subjected to heat stress, they are likely to exhibit abnormal metabolic reactions and affect their immune system. However, the relationship between metabolism and immunity during thermal stress and these crosstalk mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand the changes in blood immune cell response with the physiological metabolism changes of Holstein and Jersey cows through the biochemistry and flow cytometry branches under thermal stress conditions. We found that various blood metabolites were reduced in both Holsteins and Jerseys by heat stress conditions. There were breed-specific variations in the immune cell population in Holstein and Jersey cows under different environmental conditions. The main findings of this study provide information on the metabolism and immunity changes of two types of cow under heat stress, broadening the potential relationship of these changes.Owing to increasing global temperatures, heat stress is a major problem affecting dairy cows, and abnormal metabolic responses during heat stress likely influence dairy cow immunity. However, the mechanism of this crosstalk between metabolism and immunity during heat stress remains unclear. We used two representative dairy cow breeds, Holstein and Jersey, with distinct heat-resistance characteristics. To understand metabolic and immune responses to seasonal changes, normal environmental and high-heat environmental conditions, we assessed blood metabolites and immune cell populations. In biochemistry analysis from sera, we found that variety blood metabolites were decreased in both Holstein and Jersey cows by heat stress. We assessed changes in immune cell populations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using flow cytometry. There were breed-specific differences in immune-cell population changes. Heat stress only increased the proportion of B cells (CD4–CD21+) and heat stress tended to decrease the proportion of monocytes (CD11b+CD172a+) in Holstein cows. Our findings expand the understanding of the common and specific changes in metabolism and immune response of two dairy cow breeds under heat stress conditions.
Highlights
Global warming has recently accelerated, causing adverse effects in agricultural areas, including the livestock industry
Based on the temperature–humidity indices (THI) value that was derived from environmental condition records, we conducted the experiment using May as the normal environmental condition and August as the high-heat environmental condition [20]
The effects of heat stress on the metabolism and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) population in Holstein and Jersey dairy cows were examined by biochemistry analysis and flow cytometry analysis
Summary
Global warming has recently accelerated, causing adverse effects in agricultural areas, including the livestock industry. Among the various livestock species, dairy cows are extremely sensitive to a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, which has a significant impact on productivity, especially milk production [3]. Many studies have reported that heat stress causes a decrease in dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield compared with moderate-temperature conditions [4]. The reduced nutrient intake during high-temperature stress conditions causes abnormal hormonal and metabolic changes in dairy cows [6]. The dairy cows were shown to reduce their feed intake and milk yield, in addition to initiating metabolic and endocrine adaptations through the alteration of insulin and prolactin. The concentrations of blood amino acids were decreased in heat-stressed dairy cows, indicating the increased conversion of metabolites into glucose to stabilize glucose homeostasis during hot and humid weather
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