The data also could be indicative of an increased capacity of the liver prepartum in RE cows in order to handle ER stress postpartum. The ER stress response in RE cows appears to be partly under control of the transcription factor XBP1, as previously discussed. The higher protein synthesis and protein export in liver of RE vs. OF cows may be associated with a greater capacity to produce and export proteins such as signaling molecules and positive APP. This is supported by the higher concentration of plasma haptoglobin in RE vs. OF cows but also by the greater expression of some of the known positive APP measured by the microarray. A greater production of positive APP is normally associated with a decrease of negative APP. This phenomenon is associated with an impaired capacity of the liver to face metabolic challenges,Geniposide as indicated by the detrimental effect of inflammation on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, which is involve in assuring the normal functions carried out by the liver. It is noteworthy that both the blood biomarker and gene expression analyses indicated a more pronounced inflammatorylike conditions around parturition in RE vs. OF cows, which did not appear to elicit a detrimental effect on the ‘‘normal’’ liver function. There was no detectable lower plasma concentration of negative APP in RE vs. OF or in their mRNA abundance in liver. A higher capacity for or sensitivity to an inflammatory response in RE vs. OF also was suggested by the observed changes in the ‘Arachidonic acid metabolism’ pathway,Tetracycline hydrochloride particularly at the end of the dietary treatment phase. Arachidonic acid is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid, and the larger induction of its metabolism may be indicative of an increased rate of inflammation via the production of proinflammatory lipids such as prostaglandins. Overall, the immune-related pathways suggested a higher immune/inflammatory response in RE vs. OF by the end of pregnancy/dietary treatment phase but with a greater induction of the same pathways postpartum in OF vs. RE, especially for the ‘Complement and coagulation cascades’. This pathway is part of the innate immune response and links the inflammatory response with coagulation.