Maternal body condition during late-pregnancy is associated with in utero development and neonatal growth of Holstein calves

Table 4 Growth measurements and concentrations of plasma biomarkers during the first 50 d of age in calves born to cows classified according to normal body condition score (BCS) (≤ 3.25, NormBCS; n = 30) or high BCS (≥ 3.75, HighBCS; n = 19) at 4 weeks prior to parturition

Item^c	Maternal BCS		SEM	P-value
Item^c	HighBCS	NormBCS	SEM	BCS	Day	BCS × Day
Body weight, kg	59.6^*	63.3	1.33	0.04	< 0.01	0.20
Hip height, cm	85.5	86.1	0.61	0.49	< 0.01	0.70
Hip width, cm	19.7	20.0	0.23	0.28	< 0.01	0.94
Wither height, cm	82.6	83.1	0.52	0.42	< 0.01	0.36
Body length, cm	124	125	1.0	0.86	< 0.01	0.46
Starter intake, kg/d	1.09	1.03	0.03	0.15	< 0.01	0.16
Average daily gain (ADG), kg/d	0.66	0.69	0.04	0.49	–	–
Plasma biomarkers
Energy metabolism
BHBA, mmol/L	0.10	0.09	0.01	0.13	< 0.01	0.25
Creatinine, μmol/L	89.7	91.9	1.75	0.33	< 0.01	0.34
Glucose, mmol/L	6.52	6.48	0.17	0.85	< 0.01	0.63
NEFA, mmol/L	0.17	0.17	0.01	0.94	< 0.01	0.66
Urea, mmol/L	4.43	4.52	0.11	0.53	< 0.01	0.06
Liver function
AST/GOT, U/L	74.7	71.2	2.08	0.17	< 0.01	0.26
Cholesterol, mmol/L	1.75^*	1.77	0.05	0.78	< 0.01	0.04
GGT, U/L	86.5	96.6	8.11	0.35	< 0.01	0.24
Total bilirubin, μmol/L	3.42^*	4.22	0.22	0.01	< 0.01	0.11
Inflammation
Albumin, g/L	31.4	34.5	0.36	0.89	< 0.01	0.23
Ceruloplasmin, μmol/L	2.32	2.39	0.11	0.64	< 0.01	0.52
Haptoglobin, g/L	0.32	0.33	0.02	0.59	< 0.01	0.06
Myeloperoxidase, U/L	310	340	20.19	0.26	< 0.01	0.90
Oxidative stress
Paraoxonase, U/mL	46.0^*	40.5	2.02	0.04	< 0.01	0.37
FRAP, μmol/L	150	160	4.30	0.10	< 0.01	0.07
NO_x, μmol/L	84.7	85.8	7.44	0.91	< 0.01	0.94
Nitrites, μmol/L	5.07	5.10	0.33	0.94	< 0.01	0.09
Nitrates, μmol/L	76.2	78.8	7.52	0.79	< 0.01	0.97
ROM, mg H₂O₂/100 mL	12.0	11.9	0.48	0.86	< 0.01	0.38
Retinol, μg/100 mL	16.1	15.3	0.83	0.47	< 0.01	0.44
Tocopherol, μg/mL	2.73^*	2.55	0.20	0.50	< 0.01	0.03

^cAST aspartate aminotransferase, BHBA betahydroxybutyrate, GGT γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, FRAP ferric reducing ability of plasma, NEFA nonesterified fatty acids, NO_x nitric oxide, ROM reactive oxygen metabolites
^*Means differ P < 0.05 between groups due to BCS or BCS×Day

ISSN: 2049-1891