Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 2 of 2 items for
- Author: T. W. Graham x
- Refine by access: All content x
Search for other papers by A. L. BAETZ in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by W. T. HUBBERT in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by C. K. GRAHAM in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary.
Thirty ninhydrin-positive compounds were determined in the sera, amniotic fluid, stomach content and allantoic fluid from 29 bovine fetuses of various gestational ages. Fetal serum was found to contain about 3-fold higher concentrations of free amino acids (FAA) than maternal serum, and allantoic fluid contained about 3-fold higher concentration of FAA than fetal serum. Decreasing concentrations of FAA were found in serum as a function of the crown-rump length for the amino acids taurine, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, ornithine and lysine. Decreasing concentrations of FAA in allantoic fluid were found for threonine, alanine and ornithine, whereas increasing concentrations were found for phosphoserine and methionine as a function of the crown-rump length. Correlations were found between the concentrations of most amino acids in amniotic fluid and stomach content, but fewer correlations were found between the other fluid compartments. The transport of amino acids between compartments is discussed.
Search for other papers by T. W. Graham in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by M. C. Thurmond in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by M. E. Gershwin in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by J. P. Picanso in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by J. S. Garvey in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by C. L. Keen in
Google Scholar
PubMed
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the status of dietary zinc and serum zinc and copper concentrations on the risk of fetal loss in 570 cows. Three herds received no supplements (herds 1, 3, 4), while cows in herd 2 received supplements of either 7 g zinc week− (n = 118), as zinc methionine, or a control diet containing methionine (n = 128). Serum zinc, copper and metallothionein concentrations were determined once a month throughout gestation. Logistic regression and survival analysis were used to examine for associations between risk of fetal loss and serum zinc, copper, copper:zinc, or metallothionein concentrations, supplement level, and maternal age at conception. The risk of fetal loss increased when both serum zinc decreased and copper concentrations increased (P< 0.0001; relative risk = 10.28, 95% confidence intervals = 4.69, 22.5). The attributable risk, for a decline in the zinc concentration by 10 μmol l−1 and an increase in the copper concentration by 5 μmol l−1 was 90.27%. Methionine-supplemented cows had a higher risk of fetal loss compared with zinc-methionine-supplemented cows (one-tailed P = 0.0375; relative risk = 2.98). Cows in herds 1, 3 and 4 had a higher risk for abortion than did zinc-methionine-supplemented cows in herd 2 (relative risk = 26.27, 95% confidence intervals = 2.31, 299.38; relative risk = 40.87, 95% confidence intervals = 3.50, 458.43; relative risk = 41.53, 95% confidence intervals = 3.77, 457.02, respectively). Our results suggest that inflammation and zinc nutriture may play an important role in fetal loss in dairy cows.
