Abstract
The authors investigated the effect of insufficient feeding of Japanese Black cows during the periparturient period on the blood profiles and immune cell populations of their calves. Dams were fed with either insufficient nutrition (low nutrition group) or sufficient nutrition (sufficient nutrition group) around the time of parturition. A comparison between the two groups was made in terms of the blood profiles (both dams and calves) and the peripheral blood immune cell subpopulations of calves. Dams in the low nutrition group showed significantly lower (P ＜0.05) blood glucose, total cholesterol, albumin, and total protein compared to those in the sufficient nutrition group; whereas the BUN and FFA were significantly higher in the low nutrition group. Calves of dams in the low nutrition group showed a lower blood glucose compared to calves of dams in the sufficient nutrition group. The analysis of the peripheral blood immune cell subpopulation of calves showed a lower number of CD4＋T cells, CD8＋T cells and a lower ratio of CD4＋/CD8＋cells in the low nutrition group,which suggests that immune-insufficiency could be based on T lymphocyte function in these calves. The data suggested that the feeding of dams with the low nutrition around the time of parturition had adverse effects on the blood profiles and immune cells of their calves.
