Histamine Concentration in Blood, Milk, and Urine of Dairy Cattle

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 1963-11, Vol.46 (11), p.1243-1245
• Main Authors: Wrenn, T.R., Bitman, J., Cecil, H.C., Gilliam, D.R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: body fluids; dairy cattle; histamine
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(63)89252-8

Histamine concentration in blood, urine, and milk has been determined fluorimetrically. Blood histamine values in 19 growing Holstein heifers, from birth to 45 wk, averaged .29 μg/ml (range for an 11–14-wk period, 25±.08 to .36±.09 μg/ml). Eight bulls showed similar average blood values of 30 μg/ml (range, 25±.06 to .36±.09 μg/ml). Blood levels during this rapid growth period showed little change, values being slightly lower during the earlier weeks. Blood histamine concentration of five animals sampled at 6-hr intervals for three days indicated little diurnal variation. Such repetitive sampling was, however, associated with a progressive increase in histamine level. Twenty-five milk samples from 15 cows were analyzed for histamine, the mean concentration being .51±.34 μg/ml. When the fluorimetric histamine procedure was applied to urine, four samples from heifers fed alfalfa-grass hay showed a mean concentration of 1.10±.91 μg/ml, whereas four samples from animals fed alfalfa-grass silage were 19.53±16.42 μg/ml. These concentrations averaged about 20 to 30 times those in blood. Computed daily urinary excretion was 2–12 and 48–356mg, respectively, for the hay- and silage-fed animals.