Concentrations of plasma interleukin-1 (a) and tumour necrosis factor-α (b) in periparturient Holstein cows primed oronasally with LPS (▪) or saline (⋄).

<p>Cows in the treatment group were administered orally and nasally 2(0.15 M of NaCl), respectively, containing 3 increasing doses of LPS from <i>E. coli</i> 0111:B4 as follows: 1) 0.01 µg/kg body weight (BW) on d −28, 2) 0.05 µg/kg BW on d −25, and −21, and 3) 0.1 µg/kg BW on d −18, and −14, whereas control cows received 2 mL oral and 1 mL nasal sterile saline solution. (LSM ± SEM; n = 15; Trt = effect of treatment; Time = effect of sampling day, Trt×time = effect of treatment by sampling day; * indicates treatment differences at specific time points at <i>P</i><0.05).