Relationship between thiamine and subacute ruminal acidosis induced by a high-grain diet in dairy cows

Two experiments were conducted to reveal the effects of grain-induced subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) on thiamine status in blood and rumen fluid in dairy cows. In both experiments, 6 multiparous, rumen-fistulated Holstein dairy cows were used in a 2-treatment, 2-period crossover design. Each experimental period consisted of 21 d (total of 42 d). Experiment 1 was to investigate the effects of SARA on thiamine status in blood and rumen fluid. Treatments were either control (20% starch, dry matter basis) or SARA-inducing diet (SAID, 33.2% starch, dry matter basis). In experiment 2, the effects of dietary thiamine supplementation on attenuating SARA and ruminal fermentation characteristics in dairy cows were studied. All cows received the same SAID diet during the whole experimental period; treatments were with or without thiamine (180 mg of thiamine/kg of dry matter intake). In both experiments, rumen fluid samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h after morning feeding on d 21 and 42 of the experiments for measurement of pH, thiamine, volatile fatty acid, and lactate contents. Peripheral blood was also collected at 3 h after morning feeding on d 21 and 42 to measure thiamine, carbohydrate metabolites, and enzyme activities. In experiment 1, cows fed the SAID diet had lower ruminal and plasma thiamine concentrations and higher lactate than cows fed the control diet. The ruminal thiamine contents were positively related to pH and the concentrations of acetate in the rumen, and negatively correlated with the lactate contents. Experiment 2 demonstrated that ruminal pH and the concentrations of thiamine, acetate, and total volatile fatty acids in the rumen were increased, whereas ruminal lactate contents were reduced by thiamine supplementation. The concentrations of lactate and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in blood were reduced in the thiamine supplemented group, and the opposite was true for the nonesterified fatty acids and alpha-ketoneglutarate dehydrogenase contents. In conclusion, the thiamine status was affected by SARA in dairy cows and ruminal infusion of thiamine could help attenuate SARA by improving the proportions of ruminal volatile fatty acids and reducing lactate contents in rumen fluid and blood.