Ksetsrt J. (Nt. Sci.) 37 : 145-149 (2003) Effect of Orl Administrtion of Propylene Glycol on Serum Glucose Concentrtions in Periprturient Diry Cows Theer Rukkwmsuk, Nrongpol Petploi, Ing-orn Preechnvinit, nd Prpssorn Jongmepornsirisop ABSTRACT The effect of orl dministrtion of propylene glycol on serum glucose concentrtions ws studied in 10 diry cows. At -1, 1, 3, 5, nd 7 dys from prturition, 6 cows were orlly received 300 ml of propylene glycol/cow per dy (treted group), nd 4 cows were received 300 ml of wter/cow per dy (control group). At ech intervl, blood smples were collected from ll cows t 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, nd 5 hours following propylene glycol or wter drenching. Serum ws hrvested nd stored until determintion of glucose concentrtions. Compred with the concentrtion t 0 hour, serum glucose concentrtions fter drenching were incresed for treted cows, but not for the control cows. For treted cows, serum glucose concentrtions t 1, 2, 4, nd 5 hours were higher thn the concentrtion t 0 hour. Serum glucose concentrtions of treted cows t 1, 2, 3, 4 nd 5 hours were higher thn those concentrtions in control cows. These results indicted tht cows drenched with propylene glycol hd incresed serum glucose concentrtions, which would help these cows to improve their energy demnds during period of negtive energy blnce. In ddition, propylene glycol dministrtion could llevite the mobiliztion of ft store, which would prevent cows from ny consequences of intensive lipolysis. Key words : diry cow, glucose, propylene glycol INTRODUCTION During the finl dys prior to clving nd immeditely postprtum, dry mtter intke (DMI) of diry cows re usully decresed, nd energy requirements for initition of lcttion re gretly incresed (Grnsworthy nd Topps, 1982; Hrrison et l., 1990; Kunz et l., 1985). This phenomenon, so clled negtive energy blnce, induces the cows to increse mobiliztion of body tissues, prticulrly ft. The resulting negtive energy blnce overwhelms the cow s liver with nonesterified ftty cids (NEFA) which re originted from lipolysis in dipose tissue (McNmr, 1994). When intrheptic uptke of NEFA is incresed, the liver is likely to synthesize greter mount of tricylglycerols (Vn den Topp et l., 1995), which finlly ccumulte in the liver leding to ftty liver (Vn den Topp et l., 1995; Rukkwmsuk et l., 1999). Cows with ftty liver re more susceptible to other postprturient problems (Andrews et l., 1991; Gerloff et l., 1986). Therefore, severity of ftty liver cn be llevited by preventing cows from periprturient decrese in DMI or from severe negtive energy blnce. Administrtion of gluconeogenic precursors such s propylene glycol effectively reduces plsm NEFA nd, subsequently decreses tricylglycerol ccumultion in the liver (Studer et l., 1993). The mjority of propylene glycol escpes the rumen Fculty of Veterinry Medicine, Ksetsrt University, Kmphengsen Cmpus, Nkhon Pthom 73140, Thilnd. Received dte : 26/03/03 Accepted dte : 30/06/03
146 Ksetsrt J. (Nt. Sci.) 37 (2) intct nd portion is metbolized to propionte (Emery et l., 1964). Propylene glycol escping rumen fermenttion is converted to glucose in the liver, primrily vi the lctldehyde pthwy, which is subsequently oxidized to lctte. Propylene glycol dministered s n orl drench or mixed with concentrtes or fed seprtely from forges is pproved to be more effective thn feeding propylene glycol s prt of totl mixed rtion (Christensen et l., 1997). An orl drench of 296 ml of propylene glycol once dy is effective in incresing blood glucose nd insulin nd in reducing plsm NEFA nd 3-hydroxybutyrte of periprturient heifers tht were fed restricted mounts of feed (Grummer et l., 1994). The objective of this study ws to determine the effect of propylene glycol orlly dministered on serum glucose concentrtion in diry cows during periprturient period. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animls nd diets Ten helthy, dry Holstein Friesin crossbred cows in their first or second lcttion were used. Cows were rndomly llocted into 2 groups; 4 cows in the control group nd 6 cows in the treted groups. Cows were fed 15 kg of corn silge nd 8 kg of commercil concentrte per dy. The concentrtes contins 19% cssv chip, 18% soyben mel, 13% plm mel, 20% coconut extrct, 2% fish mel, 9% molss, 0.5% NCl, 0.5% premixed, 1.5% ure, 0.1% sulfur, 0.1% MgO, 0.3% NHCO 3, 0.6% CCO 3, 1.1% Monoclcium nd 1% Diclcium. All cows were fed twice dily t 6.00.m. nd t 4.00 p.m. The treted cows were orlly drenched with 300 ml of propylene glycol /cow per dy, nd the control cows were received 300 ml of drinking wter /cow per dy. The orl drench ws performed by using drenching gun t 6.00 p.m. on dy 1 prior to nticipted clving dte nd on dy 1, 3, 5, nd 7 fter clving. Blood smples nd nlysis Blood smples from ll cows were collected from jugulr vein before giving either propylene glycol or drinking wter (t 0 hour) nd t 1, 2, 3, 4, nd 5 hours fter drenching, respectively. Blood smples were llowed to clot t room temperture for 30 minutes nd were centrifuged t 1500 rpm for 5 minutes. Serum ws hrvested nd stored t -20 C until nlysis. Serum glucose concentrtions were determined using spectrophotometry with commercil vilble kit (Rephoton-glucose 30 STR, Diethelm Trding Co. Ltd., Bngkok). Sttisticl nlyses Dt were sttisticlly nlyzed using n SPSS computer progrm (SPSS, 1994). Dt were explored for norml distribution using Shpiro- Wilk test. When dt hd norml distribution, homogeneity of vrinces ws verified using Levene s test. Normlly distributed dt were subjected to ANOVA using propylene glycol tretment s fixed min effect nd smpling hour s repeted mesure. Comprison of dt from different smpling times ws performed using the pired Student t test. Comprison of dt between the two groups of cows ws performed using the Student t test. The two sided level of sttisticl significnce ws preset t P 0.05. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION All cows clved normlly. During the first week of lcttion, milk production ws not ffected by either propylene glycol or wter dministrtion in this study. Results from repeted mesure nlysis demonstrted tht there ws no time effect on the smpling dy; therefore, serum glucose concentrtions t the sme hours of ech smpling dte were included in the nlysis. In the control group, serum glucose concentrtions t 0 hour did not significntly differ (P > 0.05) from the concentrtions t 1, 2, 3, 4, nd 5 hours (Figure 1). This is simply becuse wter did not provide ny
Ksetsrt J. (Nt. Sci.) 37 (2) 147 gluconeogenic precursors to the liver of the control cows. In contrst, serum glucose concentrtions in the treted group t 1, 2, 4, nd 5 hours were significntly higher (P < 0.05) thn the concentrtions t 0 hour (Figure 2), indicting tht cows drenched with propylene glycol hd n increse of glucose concentrtions in their blood circultion. However, the difference between the concentrtions t 3 hours nd t 0 hour did not show ny sttisticl significnce but the tendency of the difference could be expected (P = 0.11). Our results were in greement with the results observed by Grummer et l. (1997). At 0 hour, serum glucose concentrtions did not differ between the two groups. It ws lso obvious tht the concentrtions t 1, 2, 3, 4, nd 5 hours were higher Time fter tretment (hr) Figure 1 Serum concentrtion of glucose in the control group (n = 4) tht ws received 300 ml of wter /cow per dy. Dt represent mens nd S.E.M. * * * * Time fter tretment (hr) Figure 2 Serum concentrtions of glucose in the treted group (n = 6) tht ws received 300 ml of propylene glycol /cow per dy. Dt represent mens nd S.E.M. Asterisks indicte tht serum glucose concentrtions significntly differed (P 0.05) from the concentrtion t 0 hour.
148 Ksetsrt J. (Nt. Sci.) 37 (2) b b Time fter tretment (hr) Figure 3 Comprison of serum concentrtions of glucose t ech hour intervls between the treted ( ; n = 6) nd the control ( ; n = 4). Dt represent mens nd S.E.M. Letters indicte tht serum glucose concentrtions significntly differed (: P 0.05; b: P 0.1) between the two groups. for the treted group thn for the control group (Figure 3). Propylene glycol ws gluconeogenic precursor in the ruminnts. It could be fermented by rumen microorgnisms to propionte which is known s mjor gluconeogenic precursor. Propylene glycol could be dministered to the cows in severl methods (Christensen et l., 1997; Suer et l., 1973), but drenching propylene glycol is the most pproprite wy to increse glucose concentrtion in the circultion s observed by Christensen et l. (1997). In conclusion, propylene glycol is useful substnce tht cn be drenched into cows suffering from energy deprivtion, becuse propylene glycol cn rise blood glucose concentrtions immeditely fter drenching. In ddition, the blood glucose concentrtions cn be elevted for t lest 5 hours fter drenching s indicted in this study. Therefore, propylene glycol is suggested to use to prevent cows from negtive energy blnce prticulrly t the period round prturition. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The uthors cknowledge technicl ssistnce of Ms. Juthmt Rtnkunupkrn for glucose determintion, nd niml cre-tkers of the Fculty Demonstrting Frm for their good cre of nimls. LITERATURE CITED Andrews, A.H., R. Lven nd I. Misey. 1991. Tretment nd control of n outbrek of ft cow syndrome in lrge diry herd. Vet. Rec. 129 : 216-219. Christensen, J.O., R.R. Grummer, F.E. Rsmusen nd S.J. Bertics. 1997. Effect of method of delivery of propylene glycol on plsm metbolites of feed-restricted cttle. J. Diry Sci. 80 : 563-568. Emery, R.S., N. Burg, L.B. Brown nd G.N. Blnk. 1964. Detection, occurrence, nd prophylctic tretment of bordering ketosis with propylene glycol feeding. J. Diry Sci. 47 : 1074-1079. Grnsworthy, P.C. nd J.H. Topps. 1982. The effect of body condition of diry cows t clving on their food intke nd performnce when given complete diets. Anim. Prod. 35 : 113-119.
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