Effect of Holstein genotype on ex-vivo cytokine response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) during the periparturient period

Effects of Holstein genotype on innate immune response were assessed with ex-vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) stimulation of whole blood from unselected (UH, n = 10) and contemporary (CH, n = 11) Holsteins that differ in production by more than 4,500 kg/lactation. Blood was collected at −14, 7, 28, and 49 days in milk (DIM), mixed with a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) molecule (0.01 or 1.0 µg LPS or 10 or 100 µg LTA per mL blood) and incubated (4 h, 37 °C). Plasma cytokines were quantified by ELISA, log₁₀-transformed and analyzed by repeated measures with DIM as the repeated effect. Cytokine responses increased with PAMP dose and decreased as DIM increased. There was a genotype by LPS dose interaction for IL-1β as response to the low dose was greater in UH but did not differ between genotypes for the high dose. The IL-1β response was greater while the IL-6 response to LTA tended to be greater in UH than in CH cows. The more negative energy balance of CH cows did not impact genotype difference in cytokine responses. Results indicate selection since the mid-1960s has decreased ex-vivo, whole blood cytokine response of CH cows to LPS and to LTA.