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Title: ACUTE PHASE PROTEIN RESPONSE TO WEANING AND TRANSPORT IN CALVES PRODUCED BY MATINGS OF ROMOSINUANO, ANGUS, AND BRAHMAN

Author
item ARTHINGTON, J. - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Riley, David
item Chase, Chadwick - Chad
item Coleman, Samuel
item OLSON, T. - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2004
Publication Date: 6/10/2004
Citation: Arthington, J.D., Riley, D.G., Chase, C.C., Coleman, S.W., Olson, T.A. 2004. Acute phase protein response to weaning and transport in calves produced by matings of romosinuano, angus, and brahman. Journal of Animal Science:Vol.82, suppl.1, pp.59-60

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objectives were to assess acute phase protein (APP) response in calves due to weaning and transport, and to evaluate breed influence on any detected response. Straightbred and crossbred calves (n = 297) were produced from all possible matings of Romosinuano (R; tropically adapted breed native to Colombia), Angus (A), and Brahman (B) in central Florida. Calves were weaned at approximately 7 mo of age (September, 2002) and provided a commercial preconditioning concentrate and free-choice grass hay. Approximately 28 d after weaning, steers (n = 143) were transported 2,200 km to central Oklahoma. As an estimate of inflammation, concentrations of ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, and haptoglobin were measured in blood samples collected at weaning, 24 and 72 h post-weaning, and on the day of shipping, 24 and 72 h after arrival. Fixed effects were breed type (n = 9 levels: straightbreds [RR, AA, BB], and crossbreds [RA, AR, RB, BR, AB, BA] where letters indicate breed of calf's sire then dam, respectively), herd, sex (weaning only), and sampling time. Animal was a random effect. Following weaning, the concentration of each APP increased (P < 0.01; 15, 17, and 19% in the interval from weaning to 72 h for ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, and haptoglobin, respectively). Irrespective of breed of sire, concentration of each APP was lesser (P < 0.01) in calves derived from B dams (average APP concentration = 21.7 and 23.2 mg/dL, 102 and 124 mg/dL, and 2.9 and 3.3 mg HbB for ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, and haptoglobin, respectively). Following transportation, concentrations of ceruloplasmin and fibrinogen decreased (P < 0.05; 10 and 17% in the interval from pre-shipping to 72 h after arrival for ceruloplasmin and fibrinogen, respectively). In contrast, average haptoglobin concentration increased 78% for all calves by 24 h following arrival. Increased haptoglobin concentration was most evident as heterotic effects for AR; i.e., crossbred (AR and RA) concentration (2.71 mg HbB) was greater (P < 0.01) than straightbred (AA and RR) concentration (1.41 mg HbB). These data suggest that certain breed effects impact the APP response to calf weaning and shipping.