Biomedical subjects

D A Todhunter

Publications and source records attributed to D A Todhunter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Effect of vitamin E supplementation in diets with a low concentration of selenium on mammary gland health of dairy cows.

Sixty-six cows and heifers (Holsteins and Jerseys) were assigned to one of three treatments at 60 d before anticipated calving. Treatment 1 consisted of 100 IU/d of supplemental vitamin E during the dry period and 100 IU/d during the first 30 d of lactation. Treatment 2 was 1000 IU/d of vitamin E during the dry period and 500 IU/d during lactation. Treatment 3 was 1000 IU/d of vitamin E during the first 46 d of the dry period, 4000 IU/d during the last 14 d of the dry period, and 2000 IU/d during lactation. Plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol decreased at calving for cows fed dietary treatments with low or intermediate concentrations of vitamin E, but not for cows fed the high vitamin E treatment. High dietary vitamin E increased concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in blood neutrophils at parturition, but no difference was found for the other two treatments. The percentage of quarters with new infections at calving was not different (32.0%) between cows receiving treatments that contained low and intermediate concentrations of vitamin E but was reduced (11.8%) in cows receiving the high vitamin E treatment. Clinical mastitis affected 25.0, 16.7, and 2.6% of quarters during the first 7 d of lactation for cows receiving the low, intermediate, and high vitamin E treatments, respectively. Cows with plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol < 3.0 micrograms/ml at calving were 9.4 times more likely to have clinical mastitis during the first 7 d of lactation than were cows with plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol > 3.0 micrograms/ml.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1995

Effects of an Escherichia coli J5 vaccine on mild clinical coliform mastitis.

Efficacy of an Escherichia coli (O111:B4) J5 bacterin was tested in an experimental challenge trial. Nineteen cows were vaccinated with an E. coli J5 bacterin, and 10 cows were injected with a placebo containing adjuvant only. Vaccine and placebo were administered at drying off, 30 d after drying off, and within 48 h after calving. Cows were challenged approximately 30 d after calving by intramammary infusion with a smooth heterologous strain of E. coli previously shown to cause mild clinical mastitis. Vaccination with the J5 bacterin reduced duration of IMI and local signs of clinical mastitis. Concentrations of BSA in milk 24 h after challenge were greater in control cows than in cows vaccinated with J5. The SCC at 7 d postchallenge were greater for cows vaccinated with the placebo than for cows vaccinated with J5. Bacterial counts were lower for cows vaccinated with the placebo than for cows vaccinated with J5 at 3, 6, and 9 h postchallenge. In contrast, cows vaccinated with J5 had lower bacterial counts at 2, 3, and 4 d postchallenge than did cows vaccinated with placebo. Systemic signs of clinical mastitis were relatively mild and similar between treatment groups. Rectal temperature, DMI, and milk production did not differ between control and cows vaccinated with J5 following challenge.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1995

Efficacy of recombinant bovine interleukin-2 as an adjunct to dry cow therapy.

Recombinant bovine interleukin-2 was tested as adjunct therapy to intramammary infusion of antibiotics at drying off. Cows were assigned randomly within three commercial herds to either recombinant bovine interleukin-2 or PBS treatment groups at drying off. Ninety-five cows received intramammary infusions of 1 mg of recombinant bovine interleukin-2 in each quarter immediately preceding intramammary infusion of a product for antibiotic therapy of dry cows. Ninety-four cows received intramammary infusion of 10 ml of endotoxin-free PBS in each quarter immediately preceding the antibiotic therapy. Cure rates for IMI present at drying off did not differ between cows treated with recombinant bovine interleukin-2 and those treated with PBS. Intramammary infusion of recombinant bovine interleukin-2 did not affect the rate of new IMI during the dry period. Milk production and SCC during the first 3 mo of lactation subsequent to therapy did not differ between treatment groups. Intramammary infusion of recombinant bovine interleukin-2 was not effective as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy for dry cows.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Immunization of dairy cows with an Escherichia coli J5 lipopolysaccharide vaccine.

Development of a lipopolysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine and the immunological response to the vaccine were investigated. Lipopolysaccharide derived from Escherichia coli J5 was detoxified by mild alkaline hydrolysis. Detoxification reduced endotoxin activity 2500-fold compared with that of native J5 lipopolysaccharide. The conjugate vaccine was synthesized by covalently coupling detoxified lipopolysaccharide to chicken serum albumin by reductive amination. Dairy cows were immunized with 8.35 mg of conjugate (n = 3) or 5 x 10(9) heat-killed J5 bacterin (n = 5) at 215 DIM and received a secondary immunization 14 d later. Control cows were not immunized. Immunization enhanced serum antibody titer to J5 lipopolysaccharide antigens. Whey IgG and IgM titers to J5 lipopolysaccharide were not different among treatment groups. Serum and whey IgG titers to J5 whole-cell antigens were elevated in immunized cows within treatment groups. Immunization did not enhance whey IgM to J5 whole-cell antigens. Conjugate immunization elicited an immune response comparable with or greater than that of immunized cows with J5 bacterin.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Environmental streptococcal intramammary infections of the bovine mammary gland.

Characteristics of environmental streptococcal IMI were investigated over a 7-yr period for a herd in total confinement. A total of 374 new environmental streptococcal IMI was detected. Approximately 50.5% of IMI were new in the dry period, and 49.5% were new in lactation. The rate of new IMI was .00312 IMI/cow day during the dry period and .00054 IMI/cow day during lactation. The percentages of cows and quarters with an environmental streptococcal IMI present at calving were 10.6 and 3.2%, respectively. The percentage of heifers with an environmental streptococcal IMI at calving was similar to that for cows. The rate of new environmental streptococcal IMI was greater during the 1st mo of lactation than during the remainder of lactation. The rate of IMI during late lactation was higher for older cows than for either heifers or cows in second lactation. The rate of environmental streptococcal IMI during the dry period and during lactation was greatest during summer. The mean days of lactation that cows were infected for all IMI was 12.3 d. Approximately 41% of IMI had a duration of < 8 d. Stage of lactation, season of the year, and parity influenced the rate of new IMI.

Aging↗

PubMed1995

Efficacy of a barrier teat dip containing .55% chlorhexidine for prevention of bovine mastitis.

A natural exposure trial was conducted for 12 mo in a commercial herd of 125 lactating cows to compare the efficacy of an experimental barrier teat dip containing .55% chlorhexidine gluconate with the efficacy of a 1% iodophor for preventing new IMI and clinical mastitis. Teats of half of the cows were dipped in the experimental barrier product, and teats of the remaining half of the herd were dipped in the 1% iodophor product. Quarters dipped with the experimental barrier product had fewer new IMI caused by Escherichia coli, coagulase-negative staphylococci, or Gram-positive bacilli than did quarters dipped in the 1% iodophor. Incidence of new IMI caused by Serratia spp. and Pseudomonas spp. was greater for quarters dipped in the experimental barrier product than for quarters dipped in the 1% iodophor. Efficacy of the two teat dips against new IMI caused by Staphylococcus aureus, environmental streptococci, and Klebsiella spp. did not differ. Incidence of bacteriologically negative clinical cases of mastitis was greater in quarters dipped in the 1% iodophor than in quarters dipped in the experimental barrier product. Incidence of clinical mastitis cases caused by Staph. aureus, environmental streptococci, E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Serratia spp., and Pseudomonas spp. did not differ between treatment groups.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Antigenic crossreactivity and lipopolysaccharide neutralization properties of bovine immunoglobulin G.

We investigated a possible mechanism by which immunization against core and lipid A determinants of lipopolysaccharide reduced clinical cases of mastitis and symptoms commonly associated with heterologous Gram-negative IMI. The IgG fraction of sera from cows immunized with either Escherichia coli J5 bacterin, E. coli J5 lipopolysaccharide conjugate vaccine, or unimmunized controls was purified by precipitation with caprylic acid and ammonium sulfate. The degree of IgG crossreactivity with Gram-negative bacteria that were isolated from clinical quarters was greater than that with Gram-positive isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. The highest magnitude of crossreactivity was against smooth strain E. coli isolates, followed by heterologous species of Enterobacter, Serratia, and Klebsiella isolates. Serum IgG from cows immunized with conjugate was highly crossreactive to E. coli J5, E. coli O111:B4, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharides. The magnitude of antibody crossreactivity with lipopolysaccharides coincided with the ability of IgG to suppress the mitogenic effect of lipopolysaccharides on bovine lymphocytes.

Ammonium Sulfate↗

PubMed1994

Therapy of experimentally induced coliform mastitis with a Propionibacterium acnes product.

The efficacy of a Propionibacterium acnes product for treatment of coliform mastitis was evaluated following intramammary infusion of Escherichia coli. Ten cows were injected intravenously with a product containing heat-killed P. acnes at 3 h, 3 d, and 7 d after bacterial challenge. Five cows served as untreated negative controls. Bacterial counts in milk, rectal temperatures, and milk SCC did not differ between treated cows and control cows. Intravenous infusion of P. acnes had no effect on milk production or DMI of treated cows compared with untreated controls. Therapy of experimentally induced coliform mastitis with a P. acnes product had no effect on severity or duration of clinical signs.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1994

Efficacy of dry cow therapy and a Propionibacterium acnes product in herds with low somatic cell count.

Dry cow therapy and a Propionibaterium acnes product were evaluated in four commercial herds with low SCC. Cows were randomly assigned within herds to treatment groups of approximately 90 cows receiving dry cow therapy, P. acnes, dry cow therapy plus P. acnes, or no treatment in a factorial arrangement. Each lactating quarter of cows that received dry cow therapy was infused via the teat duct with 300 mg of cephaprin at drying off. Cows that received P. acnes were infused intravenously with .4 mg of killed P. acnes at drying off, 7 to 10 d prepartum, and within 7 d after calving. A second prepartum injection of P. acnes immunostimulator was administered to cows that did not calve within 10 d after the first prepartum injection. Dry cow therapy enhanced bacteriological cures of IMI by Staphylococcus aureus and Corynebacterium bovis at drying off. Dry cow therapy reduced incidence of new IMI by environmental streptococci and C. bovis that originated during the dry period. Cows treated with P. acnes alone had a greater incidence of new IMI by Gram-negative bacilli originating during the dry period than did cows in the other treatment groups. Incidence of clinical mastitis at calving was greater for cows receiving no treatment than for cows receiving dry cow therapy, P. acnes, or dry cow therapy plus P. acnes.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1993

Association of abnormal uterine discharge with new intramammary infection in the early postpartum period in multiparous dairy cows.

The association of abnormal uterine discharge with the development of intramammary infection (IMI) was studied in 62 multiparous Holstein cows during the nonlactating period and from lactation days 3 through 30. Duplicate milk samples were obtained from each mammary gland at approximately day 30 of the nonlactating period. Milk samples for bacteriologic culture also were obtained from each gland from all cows at the end of the previous lactation, at parturition, and on a minimum of 7 additional dates during the first 30 days of lactation. Beginning after parturition and continuing once weekly for 4 weeks, each cow was examined, using a vaginal speculum to visually estimate the quantity of abnormal uterine discharge in the vagina. Additionally, uterine swab specimens were obtained for aerobic bacteriologic culture. Cows were allotted to groups on the basis of the maximal amount of abnormal uterine discharge observed at any 1 of the 4 examinations. Cows in group 1 had normal discharge or < 30 ml of abnormal discharge; in group 2, > or = to 30 ml of abnormal discharge, observed only on examination by vaginal speculum; and in group 3, > or = to 30 ml of abnormal discharge visible externally. A difference was not detected in the development of new IMI in the nonlactating period between cows that subsequently developed uterine discharge and those that did not. Although significant differences were not found, a tendency for lactating cows with abnormal uterine discharge to be at increased risk for developing new IMI was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Characteristics of coagulase-negative Staphylococci isolated from bovine intramammary infections.

Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) isolated from 86 different bovine intramammary infections (IMI) were investigated for their plasmid content, antimicrobial resistance, and infection characteristics. Plasmids were isolated from 30.2% of CNS. Number of plasmid bands ranged from 1 to 5. With the exception of tetracycline resistance, the presence of plasmids was not related to antibiotic resistance. Staphylococcus chromogenes was the CNS most frequently isolated from bovine IMI. Intramammary infections were of long duration (mean = 222 days) and resulted in a low incidence of clinical mastitis (8.1% of IMI). The greatest percentage of IMI (55%) were detected in heifers with 57% of these IMI first detected at calving. A total of 56% of IMI originated during the dry period in second lactation or older cows. The number of plasmid-positive CNS IMI was greater (P < 0.05) in multilactational cows when compared to heifers. The presence of a plasmid-positive CNS had no influence on duration of IMI, origin of IMI, clinical status of the infection, and elimination of IMI.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Vitamin E as an adjuvant in an Escherichia coli J5 vaccine.

Vitamin E was tested as an adjuvant in an Escherichia coli (O111:B4) J5 vaccine. Twenty cows were assigned to five groups of 4 cows. Cows in four groups were vaccinated with an E. coli J5 bacterin containing 5 ml of 10(9) boiled cells/ml. Vaccinations were at drying off, 30 d after drying off, and within 48 h after calving. Vaccine adjuvants differed among groups. The four treatment adjuvants were 5 ml of Freund's incomplete adjuvant, 5 ml of vitamin E, 2.5 ml of Freund's plus 2.5 ml of vitamin E, and 5 ml of PBS. Cows in the fifth group were unimmunized controls. A front mammary quarter of each cow was challenged by infusion of 10 micrograms of E. coli J5 lipopolysaccharide approximately 4 wk into lactation. Vitamin E alone enhanced serum IgM titers but had no effect on milk IgM or serum and milk IgG titers. The mixture of Freund's plus vitamin E resulted in peak IgG titers in serum and milk comparable with that of Freund's alone. Persistency of IgG titers in cows immunized with the Freund's plus vitamin E mixture was greater than the persistency of titers for cows immunized with the vaccine containing Freund's alone as the adjuvant. The mixture of Freund's plus vitamin E had a synergistic effect in reducing severity of systemic clinical signs.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1993

Growth responses of coliform bacteria to recombinant bovine cytokines.

Growth responses of 10 coliform isolates to recombinant bovine cytokines were measured in vitro. Six Escherichia coli and four Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates obtained from bovine IMI were tested for growth responses to recombinant bovine interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-2, and interferon-gamma. Cytokines were tested at 10(4), 10(3), 10(2), and 10 U/ml of media. Media used were a synthetic tissue culture medium, a chemically defined synthetic bacterial growth medium, and UHT sterilized milk. Bacterial counts in the synthetic tissue culture medium and UHT milk increased slightly as concentration of interferon-gamma in the media increased. Recombinant bovine interferon-gamma increased bacterial populations during the log growth phase but did not affect the number of bacteria in stationary growth phase. Bacterial growth responses were not related to either interleukin-2 or interleukin-1 beta concentrations in any of the three media. Bacterial growth responses to cytokines were not related to differences in either serum susceptibility, growth of isolates in dry cow secretion, duration of IMI from which isolates were obtained, or bacterial species.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Opsonic activity of bovine serum and mammary secretion after Escherichia coli J5 vaccination.

Six pairs of cows were used to determine the effects of immunization with an Escherichia coli (O111:B4) J5 bacterin on in vitro opsonization of a smooth heterologous strain of E. coli. One cow in each pair was either immunized with the vaccine or sham-immunized at drying off, 30 d after drying off, and at calving. Opsonizing bacteria with serum collected from vaccinated cows 21 d after calving resulted in higher mean number of intracellular bacteria per phagocytosing neutrophil than opsonizing bacteria with serum collected from control cows. Phagocytic parameters using serum collected at drying off and calving did not differ between treatment groups. A trend for enhanced opsonic activity of colostrum from vaccinates was noted. Enhanced opsonization by serum from vaccinated cows coincided with higher serum IgM titer to E. coli J5 whole cell antigen compared with controls. Serum IgG titers to E. coli J5 did not differ between groups. Colostrum IgG titers to E. coli J5 were greater at calving in vaccinated than in control cows. Colostrum and milk collected 21 d after calving from vaccinated cows had higher IgM titers to E. coli J5 than did mammary secretions from control cows. Numbers of intracellular bacteria per phagocytizing neutrophil were correlated positively with IgM titers to E. coli J5 in both serum and colostrum.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Field trial to determine efficacy of an Escherichia coli J5 mastitis vaccine.

Efficacy of an Escherichia coli (O111:B4) J5 bacterin for preventing naturally occurring IMI and clinical mastitis was tested in a 2.5-yr field trial in a 225-cow commercial herd. Cows with odd-numbered identification were vaccinated, and cows with even-numbered identification served as unvaccinated controls for each lactation during the study. Immunizations were subcutaneous on the upper part of the rib cage just posterior to the scapula at drying off, 30 d after drying off, and at calving. Percentage of quarters infected at calving with Gram-negative bacteria did not differ between treatment groups. A total of 67% of Gram-negative bacterial IMI present at calving in control cows became clinical during the first 90 d of lactation compared with 20% in vaccinated cows. Rate of Gram-negative bacterial clinical mastitis was higher in control cows than in vaccinated cows during the first 90 d of lactation. Immunization with the E. coli J5 bacterin did not reduce level of Gram-negative bacterial IMI at calving but did reduce incidence of clinical mastitis.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Bovine neutrophil responses to parenteral vitamin E.

Twenty-eight Holsteins were tested to determine effects of dietary and parenteral vitamin E supplementation during the dry period on plasma alpha-tocopherol and in vitro neutrophil functions at calving. Cows were assigned to one of four experimental groups receiving either supplemental dietary vitamin E, injections of vitamin E, both dietary and injections of vitamin E, or neither source of supplemental vitamin E during the dry period in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Cows receiving parenteral vitamin E were injected subcutaneously with 3000 IU of vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) at 10 and 5 d prior to anticipated calving. Cows not receiving parenteral vitamin E were injected with a placebo. Experimental groups receiving dietary vitamin E during the dry period were supplemented with 1040 IU/d compared with none for controls. Cows injected with vitamin E had greater plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration 5 d after the first injection, at calving, and 1 wk after calving than did cows injected with placebo. Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations did not differ between dietary vitamin E treatment groups from calving through 4 wk postpartum. No interaction was found between dietary and parenteral supplementation of vitamin E on plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration. Neutrophils from cows injected with vitamin E had greater intracellular kill of bacteria at calving than did neutrophils from placebo-injected cows. Neither phagocytic index nor percentage of neutrophils phagocytizing differed between vitamin E-injected and placebo-injected cows. Dietary vitamin E during the dry period had no effect on neutrophil function at calving. Intracellular kill and plasma alpha-tocopherol were correlated at calving.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1992

Efficacy of an Escherichia coli J5 mastitis vaccine in an experimental challenge trial.

An Escherichia coli (O111:B4) J5 bacterin was tested for efficacy in reducing IMI and severity of clinical coliform mastitis in an experimental challenge trial. Ten cows were immunized at drying off, 30 d after drying off, and at calving. Ten control cows were not immunized. Right front quarters of all cows were infused with a heterologous strain of E. coli approximately 30 d after calving. Vaccinated cows had lower bacterial counts in milk and lower rectal temperatures than unvaccinated controls following intramammary challenge. Milk production and DMI were more depressed in controls than in vaccinated cows. Milk SCC did not differ between experimental groups. Mean serum IgG titer to whole cell E. coli J5 was significantly greater in vaccinated than in unvaccinated cows at 30 d after drying off, day of challenge, and 7 d postchallenge. Milk IgG titer to E. coli J5 was higher at challenge in vaccinated than in control cows. Vaccination with the E. coli J5 bacterin did not prevent IMI but did reduce severity of clinical signs following intramammary experimental challenge with a heterologous E. coli strain.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolated from intramammary infections to phagocytosis by bovine neutrophils.

Thirteen Escherichia coli isolated from naturally occurring IMI were tested for susceptibility to phagocytosis by bovine blood neutrophils. Isolates were opsonized in pooled serum collected from nine healthy lactating cows. Bacteria isolated from IMI first diagnosed within 3 d after calving were more resistant to phagocytosis than were isolates from IMI originating during either the first half of the dry period or later during lactation. Duration of the IMI was negatively correlated with both phagocytic index and percentage of neutrophils phagocytizing within bacterial isolates from IMI originating at calving and during lactation. Phagocytosis was independent of duration of IMI within isolates from IMI originating during the first half of the dry period. Susceptibility to in vitro phagocytosis by neutrophils was not related to O antigen serotype, encapsulation, or growth in dry cow secretion.

Animals↗