Parameters of Abdominal Vein and their Association with Milk Production in Dairy Cows
Keywords:
dairy cows, Holstein Friesian, milk production, milk vein, Spectral Doppler, ultrasoundAbstract
In this observational study we investigate morphological and blood flow parameters of milk vein and their associations with milk production stage in high milk-producing Holstein Friesian cows. Morphological parameters: distance of the milk vein from skin surface (parameter 1); vertical diameter from intima to intima of milk vein (parameter 2) in cm; and vein area in cross-section (parameter 3) in cm2 were measured from B-mod images. Blood flow parameters of milk vein were investigated with Spectral Doppler. Linear regression model was used to evaluate relationship between diameter of milk vein and blood flow volume (BFVol) in end of lactation, dry period and early lactation stages of milk production of dairy cows. Also, the same procedure was employed to investigate relationship between diameter, BFVol and maximum velocity (MaxV) of milk vein and milk yield in early lactation stage. Parameter 1 and Parameter 2 of milk vein had constant values in each lactation stage. Parameter 3 of milk vein in early lactation stage was significantly different compared with that in dry period. A very strong direct relationship was found between diameter of milk vein and BFVol in each lactation stage. R–Squared (R2) means that 84.1%, 78.5% and 95.4% of the variability of BFVol of milk vein in each lactation is explained by its diameter. An increase of the diameter of milk vein by 1 cm the value of BFVol increases by 3.315 l/min in the end of lactation, 2.9 l/min in dry period and 1.09 l/min in the early lactation stage of dairy cows. A very strong direct relationship was found between diameter, BFVol and MaxV of milk vein and milk yield of dairy cows in early lactation stage (R = 0.867, 0.924, and 0.947 respectively). R-Squared (R2 = 0.752, 0.853, and 0.898 respectively) means that 75.2%, 85.3%, and 89.8% of the variability of milk yield is explained by diameter, BFVol and MaxV of milk vein respectively of milk vein in early lactation of dairy cows. An increase of this parameters by 1 unit increases milk yield by 7.335 kg, 6.982 kg and 0.210 kg respectively.
This study showed that ultrasonography is a useful tool in calculating morphological and blood flow parameters of milk vein as indicators of high milk production in Holstein Friesian cows.
References
Huth F.W., 1995. Die Laktation des Rindes: Analyse, Einfluss, Korrektur. Stuttgart, Germany: Eugen Ulmer Gmbh 8 Co (in German).
Davis S.R., R.J. Collier, 1985. Mammary blood flow and regulation of substrate supply for milk synthesis. J. Dairy Sci. 68(4): 1041-1058. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)80926-7
King A., 1912. Do milk veins indicate dairy capacity? Hoard’s Dairyman; 44: 523-524.
Becker R.B., 1937. Certain points in the physiological processes of the cow: B. flow venous blood from the udder. J. Dairy Sci.; 20: 409-410.
Esselburn K.M., T.M. Hill, H.G. Bateman, F.L. Fluharty, S.J. Moeller, K.M. O’Diam, K.M. Daniels. 2015. Examination of weekly mammary parenchymal area by ultrasound mammary mass, and composition in Holstein heifers reared on 1 of 3 diets from birth to 2 months of age. J. Dairy Sci. 98(8): 5280-5293. doi: 10.3168/jds.2014-9061.
Gračner D., G. Gilligan, N. Garvey, L. Moreira, P. Harvey, A. Tierney, R. Zobel. 2015. Correlation between the milk vein internal diameter surface and milk yield in Simmental cows. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Science. 39(6): 741-744. DOI:10.3906/vet-1505-106.
Albino R.L., S.E.F. Guimarães, K.M. Daniels, M.M.S. Fontes A.F. Machado, G.B. dos Santos, M.I. Marcondes. 2017. Technical note: Mammary gland ultrasonography to evaluate mammary parenchymal composition in prepubertal heifers. J. Dairy Sci. 100(2): 1588-1591. doi: 10.3168/jds.2016-11668.
Schwarz T., N. Scheeres, M.M. Malopolska, M. Murawski, T.D. Agustin, B. Ahmadi, N. Strzalkowska, P. Rajtar, P. Micek, P.M. Bartlewski, 2020. Associations between mammary gland echotexture and milk composition in cows. Animals (Basel) 10(11): 2005. doi: 10.3390/ani10112005.
Ntemka A., I. Tsakmakidis, C. Boscos, A. Theodoridis, E. Kiossis. 2022. The role of Ewes’ udder health on echotexture and blood flow changes during the dry and lactation periods. Animals 12(17): 2230. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172230.
Themistokleous K.S., I. Papadopoulos, N. Panousis, A. Zdragas, G. Arsenos, E. Kiossis, 2023. Udder Ultrasonography of Dairy Cows: Investigating the Relationship between Echotexture, Blood Flow, Somatic Cell Count and Milk Yield during Dry Period and Lactation. Animals 13(11), 1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111779.
Gorewit R.C., M.C. Aromando, D.G. Bristol. 1989. Measuring bovine mammary gland blood flow using a transit time ultrasonic flow probe. Journal of Dairy Sci. 72(7): 1918-1928. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(89)79311-5.
Gӧtze A., A. Honnens, G. Flachowsky, H. Bollwein. 2010. Variability of mammary blood flow in lactating Holstein-Friesian cows during the first twelve weeks of lactation. J. Dairy Sci. 93(1): 38-44. doi: 10.3168/jds.2008-1781.
Potapow A., C. Sauter-Louis, S. Schmauder, J. Friker, C.P. Nautrup, D. Mehne, W. Petzl, H. Zerbe. 2010. Investigation of mammary blood flow changes by transrectal colour Doppler sonography in a Escherichia coli mastitis model. J. Dairy Res. 77(2): 2005-2012. doi: 10.1017/S0022029910000105.
Braun U., Eva Forster, U. Bleul, M. Hässig, C. Schwarzwald, 2013. B-mode and colour Doppler ultrasonography of the milk vein and musculophrenic vein in eight cows during lactation. Res. Vet. Sci. 94(1): 138-143. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.07.034.
Braun U., Eva Forster. 2012. B-mode and colour Doppler sonographic examination of the milk vein and musculophrenic vein in dry cow and cow with milk yield of 10 and 20 kg. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 54: 15. https://actavetscand.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1751-0147-54-15.
Jackson P.G.G. and P.D. Cockcroft. 2002. Clinical Examination of farm animals. https://fvtm.stafpu.bu.edu.eg/Animal%20medicine/3468/crs-11367/Files/mohamed%20zain%20eldein_clinical%20exam.%20of%20farm%20animals.pdf.
Jones M. 2022. Bovine physical examination. AABP Proceedings, vol. 55, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20228611.
Braun U., R. Hoegger. 2008. B-mode and colour Doppler ultrasonography of the milk vein in 29 healthy Swiss braunvieh cows. Vet. Rec. 2008; 163(2): 47-49. doi: 10.1136/vr.163.2.47.
https://www.medcalc.org/calc/comparisonofmeans.php Medical software Ltd. Comparison of means calculator.
Rossmann J.S. 2010. Elastomechanical properties of bovine veins. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 3(2): 210-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.
