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A metabolomics approach to characterize phenotypes of metabolic transition from late pregnancy to early lactation in dairy cows

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Abstract

Introduction

Dairy cows experience metabolic stress during the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation, due to the complex adaptation processes affecting energy homeostasis in support of milk production, collectively referred to as homeorhesis. According to the individual efficiency of this adaptation, some cows develop severe metabolic diseases while others are able to maintain metabolic health.

Objectives

This study aimed to characterize patterns and changes of metabolic phenotype during the transition period, and to identify how far different metabolic pathways are affected by or contributing to the complex system of homeorhesis.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from 26 German Holstein cows, repeatedly during the transition period: 42 and 10 days before calving and 3, 21 and 100 days after calving. Blood serum samples were subjected to a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry based targeted metabolomics analysis using the AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit of Biocrates Life Science AG (Innsbruck, Austria). Processed metabolomics data were evaluated by multivariate data analysis techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis and by heatmap visualization.

Results

The PCA revealed a clear separation according to sampling days, indicating a notable shift of the metabolic phenotype during the transition period. The heatmap showed that acylcarnitines provided a consistent clustering within sampling days, while the concentration of glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids were remarkably decreased 10 days before and 3 days after calving than earlier and later in the transition period.

Conclusion

Analyzing longitudinal changes of the blood metabolome and identifying new biomarkers by this approach can help understanding the multifaceted metabolic adaptation of transition dairy cows.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstraße 35, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany

    Ákos Kenéz & Korinna Huber

  2. Institute of Animal Nutrition, “Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut” Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Brunswick, Germany

    Sven Dänicke

  3. Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk & Martin von Bergen

  4. Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Martin von Bergen

  5. Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, University of Aalborg, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7, Aalborg, Denmark

    Martin von Bergen

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  1. Ákos Kenéz
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  2. Sven Dänicke
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  3. Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk
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  4. Martin von Bergen
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  5. Korinna Huber
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Correspondence to Ákos Kenéz.

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Funding

This study was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG, Bonn, Germany; Grant number DA 558/6-1).

Conflict of interest

Ákos Kenéz, Sven Dänicke, Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk, Martin von Bergen, Korinna Huber declares that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Kenéz, Á., Dänicke, S., Rolle-Kampczyk, U. et al. A metabolomics approach to characterize phenotypes of metabolic transition from late pregnancy to early lactation in dairy cows. Metabolomics 12, 165 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-1112-8

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