2020 Volume 73 Issue 12 Pages 719-725
To assess the effect of vitamin E administration on Japanese Black calves after weaning, 16 calves received 500 IU vitamin E weekly by intramuscular injection from 12 to 18 weeks of age (VE group), and 16 calves did not receive vitamin E injection (control group). All calves were vaccinated with live bovine respiratory syncytial (RS) virus at 14 weeks of age. The serum α-tocopherol concentrations in the VE group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 14, 16, and 18 weeks of age (P＜0.05). The serum derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) in the VE group were significantly lower than those in the control group at 18 weeks of age (P＜0.05). In the VE group, the oxidative stress index (OSI), which is calculated from the serum d-ROMs and biological antioxidant potential (BAP), was significantly lower than that in the control group at 18 weeks of age (P＜0.05). The antibody titers against bovine RS virus decreased gradually from 12 to 18 weeks of age in both groups. These results suggest that vitamin E administration might decrease oxidative stress in calves. However, vitamin E administration did not affect the antibody response to vaccination of live bovine RS virus, perhaps due to the presence of the maternal antibody.
