Dose dependency and individual variability of the lipopolysaccharide-induced bovine acute phase protein response

In order to investigate the dose dependency and the individual variability of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute phase protein response in cattle, 8 nonlactating, nonpregnant Danish Holstein cows were challenged 3 times each by intravenous injection of increasing doses (10, 100, and 1000 ng/kg, consecutively) of Escherichia coli LPS with 3-wk intervals. All 3 LPS doses resulted in a rapid increase in serum concentrations of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA) and a decrease in serum concentrations of albumin in all 8 cows. Serum concentrations of acute phase proteins (APP) remained altered for several days after each LPS injection, and their increase or decrease was significantly related to LPS dose. In addition to dose dependency, the response was also dependent on the individual, as APP concentrations differed significantly among cows. To compare APP production in 2 consecutive challenges, individual APP levels after the challenge with 100 ng LPS/kg were correlated to levels attained after the challenge with 1000 ng LPS/kg. Serum amyloid A concentrations correlated between the 2 challenges, whereas haptoglobin concentrations tended to correlate; no correlation could be demonstrated between SAA and haptoglobin concentrations in either of the challenges, which suggests that the synthesis of haptoglobin and SAA are regulated in different ways. In conclusion, cattle are highly susceptible to LPS, as very low doses of LPS elicited acute phase albumin, SAA, and haptoglobin responses. Concentrations of APP not only reflect the magnitude of LPS exposure but are also influenced by the ability of the individual cow to mount an acute phase response. The ability to produce SAA and haptoglobin may be an innate characteristic of the individual, as responses in consecutive challenges were quantitatively similar.