Volume 22 • Issue 02 • 2018
enter the compromised skin to cause excessive
inflammatory response when conditions are not
ideal (wet, poor hygiene, etc.). Multiple studies
have shown that feeding a combination of zinc,
manganese and copper as amino acid complexes
and cobalt as cobalt glucoheptonate to dairy
and beef cattle can limit the impact/ occurrence
of digital dermatitis, while also improving
claw integrity and decreasing the incidence of
lameness and other claw disorders (Gomez et al.,
2014; Kulow et al., 2017).
The impact of trace minerals on hoof integrity
extends beyond the skin. One primary initiator
of the inflammatory pathway is via the toll-like
receptors (TLR). The primary outcome of the TLR
pathway is the synthesis of pro- inflammatory
metabolites (De Nardo et al., 2015). In a study
conducted at the University of Illinois (Osorio
et al., 2016b), cows fed zinc, manganese and
copper as amino acid complexes and cobalt as
entire inflammation pathway.
Both acute and chronic inflammation, regardless
of whether it is infectious or non-infectious,
influence vascular integrity and function by
creating endothelial dysfunction, compromising
vascular tone, thrombosis and vascular
remodeling. Oxidative stress associated with
inflammation can dysregulate the production of
nitric oxide (NO), essential for the endothelial
cells. This leads to the production of superoxide
anions and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) which
become very harmful for the blood vessels.
Zinc plays important roles in the protection of
these cells by increasing anti-oxidant status
[zinc-mediated glutathione de novo synthesis,
increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity]
and by down-regulating inducible nitric oxide
synthase (iNOS) – derived NO formation.
iNOS production is instrumental during the
inflammatory response but it becomes harmful
Figure 5 - Protein "Stitching"
of the Tight Junctions Between
Two Enterocytes.
Zinc plays an important role in
maintaining the physiological
function of the gastrointestinal
tract (Alam et el. , 1994)
cobalt glucoheptonate, in place of s ulfate forms,
had greater expression of one of the TLR genes.
However, these animals also had decreased
expression of genes coding for downstream
metabolites in the hoof corium. This reduction
in gene expression reflects less in the corium of
cows fed complexed organic trace minerals, as
well as potential readiness to respond to an acute
insult if necessary. Cows fed complexed organic
trace minerals also had greater expression of
genes that regulate the antioxidant response,
which can have obvious, positive impacts on an
inflammatory response (Wang et al., 2015).
Taken as whole, one possible explanation for
these observed results (i.e., reduction in claw
disorders, such as digital dermatitis) is that
cows fed complexed organic trace minerals
more effectively initiate the beginning state of
an inflammatory response without initiating the
if it is not regulated – known as “aberrant”
production of NO. Zinc-mediated regulation of
iNOS expression is affected by the regulation of
NF-ktransactivation. Researchers in Germany
have been able to reproduce some of these
pathways by exogenous added zinc. Instead,
there is an observed decrease in expression of
downstream metabolites in cows fed complexed
organic trace minerals. This may be due to
production of more structurally sound tissue in
these animals, resulting in less tissue damage.
Inflammation and the Gastrointestinal
Tract
Dehydration, malnutrition, cold stress, and
oxidative free radicals can all cause the epithelial
lining to be weakened, potentially leading to a
pathogen invasion into the animal’s body.
Heat stress and associated reduced feed intake
5