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Intramammary antibiotics with complementary acupuncture decreases milk serum N‐acetyl‐beta‐D‐glucosaminidase concentrations in dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis
Author(s) -
Ryan Elise Lauren,
Klopfenstein Joseph J.,
Kutzler Michelle Anne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
reproduction in domestic animals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.546
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1439-0531
pISSN - 0936-6768
DOI - 10.1111/rda.13835
Subject(s) - mastitis , somatic cell count , acupuncture , medicine , california mastitis test , subclinical infection , zoology , lactate dehydrogenase , endocrinology , biology , enzyme , lactation , ice calving , pathology , biochemistry , pregnancy , alternative medicine , genetics
The objective of this research is to determine whether intramammary antibiotics with complementary acupuncture can reduce bovine mammary inflammation due to subclinical mastitis. Lactating cows were selected based on milk with a somatic cell count (SCC) greater than 500,000 cells/ml. Pre‐ and post‐treatment milk samples were collected to determine SCC, aerobic bacterial content, milk ion conductivity, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and N‐acetyl‐beta‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAGase) concentrations. Milk serum was prepared from milk samples by double centrifugation. Concentrations of LDH and NAGase were determined using commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Cows being treated with intramammary antibiotics were separated by random assignment to the acupuncture group ( n = 10) and a no‐acupuncture (control) group ( n = 9). Both the acupuncture and control group were restrained for 30 min in a head catch 12 hr apart for a total of four times. For front quarters affected by subclinical mastitis, the acupuncture points used were spleen (SP) 12, SP 17, SP 18, SP 21, stomach (ST) 18 and conception vessel (CV) 12. For rear quarters affected by subclinical mastitis, the acupuncture points used were bladder (BL) 30, BL 30‐1, BL 49, kidney (KI) 10, conception vessel (CV) 2 and CV 3. All parameters were compared using a Student t test. Significance was defined as p < .05. Compared to control cows, complementary acupuncture treatment reduced NAGase enzymatic activity in quarters of cows with subclinical mastitis. The reduction in NAGase suggests that complementary acupuncture treatment may be associated with healing of the damaged mammary epithelial cells, which are the primary source of NAGase activity in milk serum.