Immediate and carryover effects of Gram-negative and Gram-positive toxin-induced mastitis on follicular function in dairy cows.

This study compared immediate and carryover effects of mastitis induced by Gram-negative endotoxin (E. coli LPS) and Gram-positive exosecretions (Staph. aureus ex.) on preovulatory follicle function. Synchronized, uninfected cyclic lactating Holstein cows were treated with PGF(2α) on day 6 of the cycle and 36 h later, a dose of either E. coli LPS (n = 8), S. aureus ex. (n = 10), or saline (n = 9) was administered into the mammary gland. Follicular fluids and granulosa cells were aspirated 6 h later from the preovulatory follicles and cows were treated with GnRH. This (cycle 1; immediate effect) was repeated three times (excluding the mammary injections) to induce three 7 d cycles (cycles 2, 3, and 4; carryover effect). E. coli LPS increased body temperature, plasma cortisol concentration, and somatic cell count (SCC), whereas S. aureus ex. induced a minor, subclinical elevation of SCC and slight rise (NS) in body temperature and cortisol concentration. Follicular estradiol, androstenedione, and progesterone concentrations in the E. coli LPS group decreased (P < 0.05) in cycle 1 to about 40%, 13%, and 35%, respectively, of control levels, whereas in the S. aureus ex. group, only estradiol decreased (P < 0.05), to 56% of control concentrations. In cycles 3 and 4, follicular steroids in the E. coli LPS group returned to control concentrations, whereas in the S. aureus ex. group, follicular concentrations of estradiol and androstenedione were lower (P < 0.10) than in controls. In the control group, the concentrations of all follicular and circulating steroids remained stable (P > 0.05) throughout the study. Follicle size was similar in all groups, but the S. aureus ex. treatment caused a decrease (P < 0.02) in the number of follicles developed in cycles 3 and 4. The mRNA expression of steroidogenic genes and LHCGR in the granulosa cells was not affected (P > 0.05) by either treatment during the study, except for a tendency toward lower (P < 0.1) expression in cycle 1 and lower (P < 0.05) expression in cycle 4 of the latter in the S. aureus ex. group. Strain levels, such as SCC and body temperature, following toxin injection correlated well with the magnitude of the immediate decline in follicular steroids. As is typical for Gram-negative clinical events, E. coli LPS-induced acute mastitis caused immediate, short-term, but not long-term impairment of follicular responses, whereas the Gram-positive S. aureus ex.-induced subclinical mastitis exhibited both immediate and carryover disruptive effects on preovulatory follicle function.