Evaluation of the ability of an anionic nutritional supplement to improve immune function in dairy cattle around calving

奶制品行业是加拿大经济上第三大农业部门，从945,000头奶牛到不到11,000头奶牛，奶牛场收入达67亿美元**2015年，奶牛业为加拿大国民生产总值贡献了199亿美元。**奶牛被称为代谢运动员。他们面临的挑战之一是，随着哺乳期的开始，产后立即出现血钙水平的大幅和突然下降(低钙血症)。这种短暂的血钙下降是许多后续健康障碍的危险因素。最近的研究强调，钙是免疫功能中的一个重要元素，众所周知，在产犊前后的几周内，钙也会受到影响，而且在那时也会增加感染疾病的风险。在这里，我们建议进行研究，以探索**一种商业上可用的营养补充剂**帮助预防低钙血症改善**免疫功能的能力。我们将在来自商业农场的26头奶牛中进行一项对照实验，喂食阴离子膳食补充剂或安慰剂，以初步评估这项技术对天然免疫功能的影响。具体地说，我们将评估治疗对中性粒细胞(负责子宫和乳房第一道免疫防线的主要细胞)进行吞噬(吞噬细菌或受损组织)和氧化爆发(消化吞噬细菌)的功能能力的影响。如果这种效果得到证实，有可能改善奶牛的健康和福祉，并**增加对这种营养方法的采用，目前这种方法在**加拿大奶牛场只有适度的实施。

The dairy industry is economically the third-largest agricultural sector in Canada, with $ 6.7 B in farm receipts**from 945,000 milking cows to just under 11,000 farms and a $19.9 B contribution to national GDP in 2015.**Dairy cows have been described as metabolic athletes. One of the challenges they face is a large and sudden**drop in blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia) right after calving as lactation begins. This transient drop in**blood calcium is risk factor for numerous subsequent health disorders. Recent research highlights that calcium**is one important element in immune function, which is known also to be compromised in the weeks around**calving, and also contributes to the risk of infectious disease at that time. Here, we propose research to explore**the ability of a commercially-available nutritional supplement which helps to prevent hypocalcemia to improve**immune function. We will undertake a controlled experiment in 26 cows from commercial farms fed either an**anionic dietary supplement or a placebo for a preliminary assessment of the effect of this technology on innate**immune function. Specifically, we will assess the effect of the treatment on the functional capacity of**neutrophils (the main cells responsible for the first line of immune defence in the uterus and the udder) to**perform phagocytosis (engulfing bacteria or damaged tissue) and oxidative burst (digestion of engulfed**bacteria). This effect, if established, has the potential to improve the health and well-being of dairy cows, and**to increase adoption of this type of nutritional approach, which currently has only moderate implementation on**Canadian dairy farms.