| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
* Division of Animal Sciences, Institute for Animal Science and Health, ID-Lelystad, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Herbivores Research Group, INRA-Theix, 63122 St-Genes-Champanelle, France
Corresponding author:
S. C. Liefers; e-mail:
s.c.liefers{at}id.wag-ur.nl.
The objective of this study was to describe fluctuations in leptin concentrations during late pregnancy and lactation and to investigate how those fluctuations are related to energy balance, milk yield, milk components, dry matter intake, live weight, first postpartum luteal activity, and first observed estrus during lactation. Live weight, dry matter intake, energy balance, and milk yield were measured weekly on 304 primiparous Holstein cows for the first 80 d of lactation. The first postpartum luteal activity was determined by measuring milk progesterone, and independently, first observed estrus. For measuring leptin concentrations from 30 d before until 80 d after calving, blood samples were taken at 2-wk intervals at a fixed time of the day after milking but before feeding. Leptin concentrations were high during pregnancy and declined to a nadir at parturition. It seems that leptin concentrations reflect the state of energy balance during lactation; plasma leptin concentrations were lower in cows with a mean negative energy balance during lactation. Those cows usually produced more milk, consumed less feed, and had a lower live weight compared with cows having a mean positive energy balance. The recovery of leptin concentrations from the leptin nadir at parturition seemed to depend on the extent and duration of the negative energy balance, thus probably on the amount of fat that was re-accumulated. Although there was lack of a relationship between leptin and first postpartum luteal activity, higher leptin concentrations associated with shorter intervals to first observed estrus might indicate a relationship between leptin and expression of estrus.
Abbreviation key: EB = energy balance, FE = first observed estrus, FPLA = first postpartum luteal activity, LEPpost = mean concentration of leptin during the postpartum period, LEPpre = mean concentration of leptin during the prepartum period, LW = live weight, MY = milk yield
Key Words: leptin concentrations • lactation • energy balance • reproduction
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. R. G. Wylie, S. Woods, A. F. Carson, and M. McCoy Periprandial Changes in Metabolite and Metabolic Hormone Concentrations in High-Genetic-Merit Dairy Heifers and Their Relationship to Energy Balance in Early Lactation J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2008; 91(2): 577 - 586. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. D. Nkrumah, C. Li, J. Yu, C. Hansen, D. H. Keisler, and S. S. Moore Polymorphisms in the bovine leptin promoter associated with serum leptin concentration, growth, feed intake, feeding behavior, and measures of carcass merit J Anim Sci, January 1, 2005; 83(1): 20 - 28. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Meikle, M Kulcsar, Y Chilliard, H Febel, C Delavaud, D Cavestany, and P Chilibroste Effects of parity and body condition at parturition on endocrine and reproductive parameters of the cow Reproduction, June 1, 2004; 127(6): 727 - 737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. L. Miner The adipocyte as an endocrine cell J Anim Sci, March 1, 2004; 82(3): 935 - 941. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. J. Leury, L. H. Baumgard, S. S. Block, N. Segoale, R. A. Ehrhardt, R. P. Rhoads, D. E. Bauman, A. W. Bell, and Y. R. Boisclair Effect of insulin and growth hormone on plasma leptin in periparturient dairy cows Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2003; 285(5): R1107 - R1115. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
