Possible Effects of Dihydroheptaprenol on Neutrophil Function of Postpartum Dairy Cows

Abstract

The parturient cow is highly susceptible to environmental mastitis. Severe clinical mastitis may occur shortly after parturition and is more severe than most cases of mastitis occurring in mid and late lactation periods (3). The enhanced susceptibility to mastitis may be attributable to the suppression of host defense mechanisms (3,4). The function of neutrophils is important for protection in the early phase of infection. However, little data are available on the function of neutrophils in dairy cows during the perinatal period (6, 7,10). Immunomodulators that might abrogate the development of periparturient immunosuppression have not been evaluated. Dihydroheptaprenol (DHP) is a polyprenol derivative and is known as a stimulator of neutrophils under experimental systems of mice (1,11) and swine (2). The present study was performed to determine whether DHP administration alters neutrophil function in dairy cows during the postpartum period.