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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #234326
Title: Influence of temperament on inflammatory cytokine responses of cattle to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge

Author
item Hulbert, Lindsey
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item BURDICK, NICOLE - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH
item Dailey, Jeffery
item CALDWELL, LISA - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH
item VANN, RHONDA - MAFES, MISS STATE UNIV
item BALLOU, MICHAEL - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item WELSH JR, TOM - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH
item RANDEL, RON - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2008
Publication Date: 2/2/2009
Citation: Hulbert, L.E., Carroll, J.A., Burdick, N., Dailey, J.W., Caldwell, L., Vann, R., Ballou, M., Welsh Jr, T., Randel, R. 2009. Influence of temperament on inflammatory cytokine responses of cattle to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge [abstract]. Annual meeting of the Southern Section of American Society of Animal Science in Atlanta, GA, on Jan 31 - Feb 4, 2009. Journal of Animal Science. 87(Supplement 2):11. Abstract #33.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We previously reported that temperament influenced rectal temperature, sickness scores, and cortisol and epinephrine concentrations following an LPS challenge. Temperamental bulls displayed less sickness, fever and less of an epinephrine response 1 hour after an LPS challenge when compared to calm and intermediate bulls. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of temperament of bulls on serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-4, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma. Brahman bulls (10 months of age) were selected from a pool of 60 bulls and categorized based upon an average of exit velocity (EV) and pen score (PS) determined at weaning. Bulls were ranked into 3 groups: calm (C), (n=8; 0.87 m/s EV and 1 PS), intermediate (I) (n=8; 1.59 m/s EV and 2.25 PS), and temperamental (T) (n=8; 3.70 m/s EV and 4.88 PS). Bulls were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters. Samples were collected at 0.5 hour intervals from -2 to 8 hours relative to an i.v. infusion of LPS (0.5 micrograms/Kg BW) at 0 hours. Serum concentrations of TNF-alpha peaked 30 minutes post-LPS (P less than or equal to 0.001). Overall, C bulls had less of a TNF-alpha response when compared to T bulls (Mean diff. = -170.0 ng/mL; P less than or equal to 0.05). Two to 3 hours post-LPS, a surge of IL-6 was observed (P less than or equal to 0.001). More (P less than or equal to 0.05) IL-6 was observed among I (137.02 ng/mL) bull serum 3 hours post-LPS when compared to C (110.99 ng/mL) and T (81.66 ng/mL) (SEM pooled = 14.63). Calm bulls displayed a biphasic IL-6 response with a decrease of IL-6 to 20 ng/mL at 3.5 hours, followed by a sudden increase to 92.29 ng/mL at the 4 hour period. Serum IFN-gamma peaked between 4 and 5 hours post-LPS (P less than or equal to 0.001), but was not affected by temperament (P > 0.01). A peak in IL-4 between 5 and 6.5 hours post-LPS (P less than or equal to 0.001) was observed for all bulls. Overall, the greatest (P less than or equal to 0.05) concentrations of IL-4 were observed among C bulls (Mean diff. = +3.73; P 0.05) when compared to T bulls. Calm bulls appear to have a different inflammatory response based upon concentrations and biphasic peaks following an LPS challenge when compared more temperamental bulls.