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Cerebrospinal Fluid Prohormone Processing and Neuropeptides Stimulating Feed Intake of Dairy Cows during Early Lactation
journal contribution
posted on 2015-02-06, 00:00 authored by Björn Kuhla, Thomas Laeger, Holger Husi, William MullenAfter
parturition, feed intake of dairy cows increases within the
first weeks of lactation, but the molecular mechanisms stimulating
or delaying the slope of increase are poorly understood. Some of the
molecules controlling feed intake are neuropeptides that are synthesized
as propeptides and subsequently processed before they bind to specific
receptors in feeding centers of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds
most of the feed intake regulatory centers and contains numerous neuropeptides.
In the present study, we used a proteomic approach to analyze the
neuropeptide concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid taken from dairy
cows between day −18 and −10, and between day +10 and
+20 relative to parturition. We found 13 proteins which were only
present in samples taken before parturition, 13 proteins which were
only present in samples taken after parturition, and 25 proteins which
were commonly present, before and after parturition. Among them, differences
in pro-neuropeptide Y, proenkephalin-A, neuroendocrine convertase-2,
neurosecretory protein VGF, chromogranin-A, and secretogranin-1 and
-3 concentrations relative to parturition highlight propeptides and
prohormone processings involved in the control of feed intake and
energy homeostasis. Scaffold analysis further emphasized an increased
tone of endogenous opioids associated with the postparturient increase
of feed intake.