Concentrations of glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cells in mastitic milk

Milk glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cells were measured during experimental mastitis. Six cows were allotted evenly into injected and control groups. Injected cows received a single intramammary infusion of .5 mg sterile Escherichia coli endotoxin in a quarter chosen at random. Control cows were untreated. Milk quarter samples were taken from all cows at both milkings and 9 h following midnight milking 1 day prior to glucocorticoid concentrations occurred 9 h postinjection and were 17.5 ng/ml (+/- 10.2), and 4.4 ng/ml (+/- 2.3) in injected and noninjected quarters of the same cows. In injected cows glucocorticoid concentrations returned to baseline within 36 h. Glucocorticoids in control quarters were .4 ng/ml (+/- .3). Peak bovine serum albumin was 27.8 ng/ml (+/- 22.8) and .56 bg/ml (+/- .09) in injected and noninjected quarters in the same cows as compared to a baseline of .2 mg/ml (+/- .04) in control cows. In injected quarters, bovine serum albumin remained elevated for 4 days, and somatic cells were elevated for 6 days after injection. Glucocorticoids, bovine serum albumin, and somatic cells were elevated markedly in injected quarters, and unlike concentrations of bovine serum albumin and somatic cells, elevated glucocorticoids in injected quarters were short lived.