Short CommunicationRelationship between serum adiponectin concentration, body condition score, and peripheral tissue insulin response of dairy cows during the dry period
Introduction
Adiponectin, a protein exclusively produced by adipocytes, exerts insulin sensitizing and anti-inflammatory properties in different tissues and is recognized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the human metabolic syndrome [1], [2]. Obesity, in humans and rodents, is associated with decreased circulating concentrations of adiponectin and a downregulated expression of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2. Both factors contribute to a disruption of normal metabolic function of different tissues which eventually will lead to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease [1], [3], [4]. Overconditioned dairy cows are known to be more susceptible for metabolic and infectious disorders, which is known as the fat cow syndrome [5], [6]. Similarly to the human metabolic syndrome, the adipose tissue is an important contributor in the development of the fat cow syndrome due to the excessive release of fatty acids [6], [7]. The adipose tissue of dairy cows is also capable of producing different adipokines, including adiponectin [8], [9], [10]. However, the metabolic role of adiponectin in dairy cows is not yet fully explored. Recent in vitro research demonstrated that adiponectin decreases tumor necrosis factor α production by bovine monocytes [11], whereas it stimulates lipid oxidation in bovine hepatocytes [12].
In a previous article, we described the relationship between the accumulation of body fat and glucose and fatty acid metabolism of peripheral tissues in response to insulin. Overconditioned cows were shown to have a decreased insulin sensitivity (increased EC50glucose) and a decreased insulin responsiveness (decreased maxglucose) of the glucose metabolism, whereas insulin action at the level of the fatty acid metabolism was not influenced by BCS [13]. The aim of the present study was to describe the relationship of the serum adiponectin concentration during the dry period with: (a) BCS, (b) adipose depot weight, and (c) variables derived from the insulin dose response curves of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism for cows of variable BCS (BCS 3−5) during the dry period.
Section snippets
Materials and methods
All experimental procedures were approved by the ethical committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (EC2010/149—University Ghent, Belgium). The study design is described in detail by De Koster et al [13]. Ten clinically healthy, pregnant Holstein Friesian dairy cows were selected at the beginning of the dry period based on BCS according to the scale of Edmonson et al [14]. The upcoming parity number of the animals was 2 (n = 4); 3 (n = 4); 4 (n = 1), and 5 (n = 1). Five animals were
Results
The comparison of BCS and BFT at different time points within individuals, revealed no significant difference, meaning that the BCS and BFT did not change during the dry period. Body condition score was negatively associated with adiponectin concentration (regression coefficient of the mixed model = −3.54; P < 0.05). Time had a significant influence on the adiponectin concentration (P < 0.05), and we observed a drop in adiponectin concentration toward the end of the dry period independent of
Discussion
The medium and high molecular weight forms of adiponectin are the most important isoforms circulating in the blood of dairy cows [8], [10]. The bovine specific ELISA used in the present study does not discriminate between the molecular weight forms of adiponectin. Nevertheless, as previously demonstrated by others [9], [10], serum total adiponectin concentration decreased at the end of the dry period. Since adiponectin exerts insulin sensitizing effects on the liver, skeletal muscle, and
Conclusions
Serum adiponectin concentration was negatively associated with the BCS of dairy cows in the dry period. Independently of the BCS of the animals, the serum adiponectin concentration decreased at the end of the dry period. In the present study, serum adiponectin concentrations were positively associated with the insulin responsiveness of the glucose and NEFA metabolism. More research is needed toward the functional role of adiponectin in peripheral tissue metabolism of periparturient dairy cows
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University, grant number 01D28410. The authors wish to thank Lars Hulpio, Isabel Lemahieu and Petra Van Damme for excellent technical assistance in the lab.
References (20)
- et al.
Insulin/foxo1 pathway regulates expression levels of adiponectin receptors and adiponectin sensitivity
J Biol Chem
(2004) Fat cow syndrome
J Dairy Sci
(1976)- et al.
Assessing and managing body condition score for the prevention of metabolic disease in dairy cows
Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract
(2013) - et al.
Influence of adipocyte size and adipose depot on the in vitro lipolytic activity and insulin sensitivity of adipose tissue in dairy cows at the end of the dry period
J Dairy Sci
(2016) - et al.
Lactation driven dynamics of adiponectin supply from different fat depots to circulation in cows
Domest Anim Endocrinol
(2014) - et al.
Development, validation, and pilot application of a semiquantitative western blot analysis and an ELISA for bovine adiponectin
Domest Anim Endocrinol
(2013) - et al.
Adiponectin links adipose tissue function and monocyte inflammatory responses during bovine metabolic stress
Comp Immunol Microb
(2014) - et al.
Adiponectin activates the AMPK signaling pathway to regulate lipid metabolism in bovine hepatocytes
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol
(2013) - et al.
Insulin response of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism in dry dairy cows across a range of body condition scores
J Dairy Sci
(2015) - et al.
A body condition scoring chart for holstein dairy cows
J Dairy Sci
(1989)