Concentrations fo Glucocorticoids, Bovine Serum Albumin, and Somatic Cells in Mastitic Milk

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Abstract
Milk glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin and somatic cells were measured during experimental mastitis. Six cows were allotted evenly into injected and control groups. Injected cows received a single intramammary infusion of 0.5 mg sterile Escherichia coli endotoxin in a quarter chosen at random. Control cows were untreated. Milk quarter samples were taken from all cows at both milkings and 9 h following midnight milking 1 day prior to and for 7 days following injection. Peak glucocorticoid concentrations occurred 9 h postinjection and were 17.5 ng/ml (.+-. 10.2) and 4.4 ng/ml (.+-. 2.3) in injected and noninjected quarters of the same cows, respectively. In injected cows glucocorticoid concentrations returned to baseline within 36 h. Glucocorticoids in control quarters were 0.4 ng/ml (.+-. 0.3). Peak bovine serum albumin was 27.8 ng/ml (.+-. 22.8) and 0.56 ng/ml (.+-. 0.09) in injected and noninjected quarters in the same cows as compared to a baseline of 0.2 mg/ml (.+-. 0.04) in control cows. In injected quarters, bovine serum albumin remained elevated for 4 days; somatic cells were elevated for 6 days after injection. Glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin and somatic cells were elevated markedly in injected quarters; unlike concentrations of bovine serum albumin and somatic cells, elevated glucocorticoids in injected quarters were short lived.