MULTIPLE EFFECTS OF PREECLAMPSIA IN COWS ON POSTNATAL GROWTH AND HEALTH OF OFFSPRING
Scientific interest in such pathologies of pregnancy as functional deficiency of the fetoplacental system, intrauterine growth retardation of embryo and fetus, and preeclampsia (gestosis), is caused not only by their wide spread among productive animals, but also by negative impact on postnatal growth and the health of offspring. The influence of a preeclampsia on incidence of newborn calves of anemia, an omphalitis, inflammatory diseases of gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts and also intensity of growth in the first two months of life was studied on red-motley cows in 2016 in the conditions of a large dairy complex (Voronezhpishcheprodukt Co Ltd, Novousmansky Rregion, Voronezh Province). Total of 45 cows ( Bos taurus taurus ) with a gestation period of 248-255 days were examined, including 31 with clinical signs of preeclampsia and 14 with the physiological course of pregnancy, and calves obtained from them ( n = 45). The cows were assessed for clinical signs of preeclampsia (pathological swelling of mammary gland, ventral abdominal wall, dewlap, pelvic extremities, arterial hypertension and proteinuria), the blood concentrations of progesterone, estradiol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) were determined, the endogenous intoxication features were examined, i.e. concentration of middle molecular peptides (MMP), effective (ECA) and total (TCA) serum albumin concentration, the toxicity index TI = (TCA/ECA) - 1 and the intoxication coefficient IC = (MMP/ECA) ½ 1000 were calculated. Within 1-3 hours after birth, the diameter of the calves' navel was measured; an increase in the diameter of the navel of more than 18.0 mm was considered as a retrospective indicator of the fetoplacental blood circulation disorder. On day 1, day 30 and day 60 the calves' bodyweight was measured; the absolute, relative and average daily weight gain for the first and second months of life was calculated. During the first 60 days of life, the calves underwent constant clinical observation, the incidence of anemia, an omphalitis, gastroenteritis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia and severity of disease course were considered. Frequency of anemia cases in calves from mother cows with preeclampsia was 1.80-fold, of omphalitis 9.40-fold, of gastroenteritis 1.80-fold, of bronchitis 1.75-fold, and of bronchopneumonia 2.71-fild as compared to animals from cows with the physiological course of pregnancy. For the first month of life, an average daily bodyweight gain of the calves received from the cows suffered from a preeclampsia was 46.2 % (p < 0.01) less than that of offspring of healthy cows. We revealed significant individual differences in the protein concentration in urine, endogenous intoxication parameters (ECA/TCA, MMP, IC) and the blood content of steroid hormones (progesterone, estradiol, DHEA-S) among the cows with the symptoms of preeclampsia. An inverse relationship was established between the rate of intoxication in cows with preeclampsia and the average daily bodyweight gain in their calves during the first month ( r<sub>S</sub> = -0.79, p < 0.01) and the second ( r<sub>S</sub> = -0.58, p < 0.01) month of life. As proteinuria in cows increases, the probability of omphalitis progression ( r<sub>τ</sub><sub>-K</sub> = +0.32, p < 0.05) and anemia ( r<sub>τ</sub><sub>-K</sub> = +0.33, p < 0.05) of calves increases too. Statistically significant links are found between accumulation of MMP in blood of cows suffering from preeclampsia, and probability of omphalitis ( r<sub>τ</sub><sub>-K</sub> = +0.36, p < 0.01) and bronchopneumonia ( r<sub>τ</sub><sub>-K</sub> = +0.35, p < 0.05) progression in their offspring and also between coefficient of intoxication and probability of progression of these diseases (with τ-Kendall's coefficients +0.35, +0.35 and +0.38 respectively at p < 0.05). The functional disorder of fetoplacental system is associated with progression of omphalitis ( r<sub>τ</sub><sub>-K</sub> = +0.33, p < 0.05), gastroenteritis ( r<