Abstract #T159

# T159
Relationship between liver functionality index and fertility in dairy cows.
E. Trevisi*1, F. Piccioli-Cappelli1, M. Mezzetti1, A. Ferrari1, A. Minuti1, 1Istituto di Zootecnica, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy.

During the transition period many cows experienced severe negative energy balance, reduced immunocompetence, inflammatory status, oxidative stress and hypocalcemia which have an impact on the immediate and the later physiological conditions. Although some indexes of the above disorders are related to poor fertility, more accurate prognostic biomarkers are needed. With this aims 52 periparturient cows have been accurately monitored for fertility traits from dry period to first insemination (AI), obtained with the estrus synchronization, and until diagnosis of pregnancy or culling. Diagnosis of pregnancy was performed with ultrasonography at 28 d post-AI and was confirmed 14 d later. Health status, BCS, milk yield, somatic cell counts and a wide inflammometabolic profile (including interleukins (IL) 1β and 6) have been individually measured. Moreover, liver functionality index (LFI, which combines the post calving variations of albumin, cholesterol and bilirubin) has been calculated. All data (BCS and blood biomarkers) were analyzed with the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), with each animal as the experimental unit. Cows were divided into classes of pregnancy status: pregnant at 1st AI (EP, 15), pregnant within 250 DIM (MP, 24) or later (LP, 5), and not pregnant (INF, 8). During the transition period, LP (but not INF) vs EP showed (often with statistical significance): the most severe reduction of BCS; the highest concentrations of IL1β (in dry period only); the highest concentrations of haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, globulin, bilirubin, NEFA, BHB, urea and GOT after calving; the lowest levels of paraoxonase and cholesterol. The LFI was inversely related to days open interval and tended to be higher in EP (0.7 ± 2.1 points) vs other groups (−0.6 ± 2.6 points), with marked individual variation. Significant correlations (P < 0.05) with days open and some biomarkers at 7 DIM (i.e., bilirubin, globulin, paraoxonase, Ca-P ratio) and at the day of the AI (IL1β, Ca:P ratio, globulin) have been observed. These data suggest that parameters related to the acute phase response within 28 DIM allow to identify cows at risk of reproductive disorders.

Key Words: fertility, transition period, inflammometabolic profile