Arachidonic acid metabolites in milk of cows during acute coliform mastitis

Concentrations of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were evaluated in the milk of cows with naturally occurring (n = 3) and experimentally induced (n = 5) acute coliform mastitis. These arachidonic acid metabolites were measured by radioimmunoassay in unextracted milk. Experimental infections were induced by inoculating 600 to 1,200 colony-forming units of Escherichia coli into 1 mammary quarter per experimental cow. In the experimental cows, milk was collected before inoculation and at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours after inoculation. Somatic cell concentrations, bovine serum albumin, and concentrations of PGF2 alpha and TXB2 were determined in milk collected at each sampling. Mild-to-moderate increases in milk PGF2 alpha and TXB2 concentrations were observed in cows with naturally occurring mastitis. the increases corresponded to the clinical severity and course of mastitis. In the experimental cows, increases in milk PGF2 alpha and TXB2 concentrations were observed, but the increases were not significant, using a statistical model that included factors of treatment, cows, hours after inoculation, cows-by-treatment and hours-by-treatment interactions, and random error (residual). Results of the present study indicated a large biological variability in milk arachidonic acid metabolite concentrations in cows with acute coliform mastitis, and that arachidonic acid metabolites may be important in the pathophysiologic process of acute coliform mastitis.