Consecutive changes in serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme 3 activities in Holstein heifers during the first 18 months of life

Abstract

This study investigated consecutive fluctuations in serum activities of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) isoenzyme 3 (ALP3) in 11 clinically healthy Holstein heifers during the first 18 months of life. ALP3 activities at the first sampling time point after weaning (3 months) were significantly lower than those at multiple time points during the pre-weaning period. Those activities increased from a minimum at 3 months to a peak at 6 months during the post-weaning period. In the anthropometric data, daily body weight and wither height gains appeared to be below the public data at 4 months and 4–5 months, respectively. The data suggested that serum ALP3 activity can be used to monitor skeletal growth of heifers at weaning.