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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308538
Title: Cytokine profiles from shipping through sickness and recovery in cattle either mass-medicated with gamithromycin or sham-treated

Author
item Chitko-Mckown, Carol
item DEDONDER, KEITH - Kansas State University
item Bennett, Gary
item APLEY, MICHAEL - Kansas State University
item Harhay, Gregory
item Kuehn, Larry
item WHITE, BRADLEY - Kansas State University
item LARSON, ROBERT - Kansas State University
item CAPIK, SARA - Kansas State University
item LUBBERS, BRIAN - Kansas State University
item Workman, Aspen

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2014
Publication Date: 12/8/2014
Citation: Chitko-McKown, C.G., DeDonder, K.D., Bennett, G.L., Apley, M.D., Harhay, G.P., Kuehn, L.A., White, B.J., Larson, R.L., Capik, S.F., Lubbers, B.V., Workman, A.M. 2014. Cytokine profiles from shipping through sickness and recovery in cattle either mass-medicated with gamithromycin or sham-treated [abstract]. Conference on Research Workers in Animal Disease, December 7-9, 2014, Chicago, Illinois. Paper No. 148.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is estimated to be responsible for 75% of morbidity and 50% of mortality in beef cattle feeding operations, and mass medication of cattle upon arrival at feeding facilities is a common practice to control BRD. Our objectives were to determine if cytokine profiles differed between sham- and mass-medicated treatment groups, and if cytokine profiles differed between animals presenting with BRD and those that remained healthy throughout a 28 day trial regardless of antibiotic use. Sixty head of cattle were purchased at each of three sale barns located in Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky for a total of 180 animals on trial. Cattle were transported to a feeding facility in Kansas where they were randomly allocated within source to one of two treatments, mass-medication with gamithromycin (n = 90) or sham saline-injection treatment (n = 90). Blood samples were collected for plasma at day 0 (at sale barn), day 1 (at Kansas facility), day 9, and day 28. Cattle presenting with BRD were also sampled for plasma at the time of diagnosis and five days later. The plasma samples were assayed for the cytokines IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma using a multiplexed electrochemiluminescent assay system. BRD cases were evenly distributed across sale barns (9, 9, and 10). Nineteen sham-saline treated animals presented with BRD as compared to nine animals in the mass-medicated group. Differences were observed in the cytokine profiles between the mass-medicated and sham-saline treated groups. Preliminary analyses indicate that mass-medication with gamithromycin resulted in increased production of IL-1beta, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-gamma in animals that presented with BRD as compared to sham-saline treated animals that presented with BRD. However, TNF-alpha production did not appear to vary either between the mass-medicated and sham-saline treated groups, or between animals that remained healthy or presented with BRD. Additional analysis is on-going.