Context: Ethanolamine plasmalogens (EPls) and choline plasmalogens (CPls) are classes of ethanolamine ether phospholipids (ePE) or choline ether phospholipids (ePC), respectively. EPls play crucial roles in maternal and breastfed infant bodies and stimulate gonadotropin secretion by gonadotrophs. Aims: To estimate changes in and importance of plasma concentrations of EPls and CPls, utilizing newly developed enzymatic fluorometric assays for ePE and ePC in postpartum Holstein cows. Methods: Plasma samples were collected 3 weeks before expected parturition until approximately 8 weeks after parturition (16 primiparous and 38 multiparous cows) for analysis. Key results: Plasma concentrations of ePE and ePC, most of which are plasmalogens, declined before and increased after parturition and stabilised near the day of the first postpartum ovulation (1stOV). From weeks 2 to 3 after parturition, third-parity cows exhibited ePE concentrations that were higher than those of other parity cows. The days from parturition to 1stOV correlated with days from parturition to conception. On the day of 1stOV, milk yield correlated with plasma concentration of both ePE and ePC, while ePC concentration correlated negatively with milk fat percentage. At the early luteal phase after 1stOV, plasma ePE concentration correlated with plasma anti-Müllerian hormone concentration (r = 0.39, P < 0.01), and plasma ePC concentration correlated with plasma follicle-stimulating hormone concentration (r = 0.43, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The concentrations of ePE and ePC changed dramatically around parturition and 1stOV, and then the concentrations correlated with the important parameters. Implications: The blood plasmalogen may play important roles in postpartum dairy cows.

The purpose of this study was to compare demographic trends in the aging of the Japanese and Brazilian populations on the basis of health indicator data collected by the statistics bureaus of the Japanese and Brazilian governments. The demographic and health indicator data from surveys by the Statistics Bureaus of the Japanese and Brazilian governments and other sources were obtained from websites. The data showed that Japan has an aging population, that the number of elderly persons in Japan is increasing and that the Government of Japan has a plan to address future demands for health resources by this aging population, whereas Brazil has a rapidly population aging but no plan for its future health services. Brazil may need to increase the number of hospitals and hospital beds and develop a medical care plan for the elderly within its Unified Health System.