Effect of nutrient intake on intramuscular glucose metabolism during the early growth stage in cross-bred steers (Japanese Black male × Holstein female).

The objective was to investigate the impact of nutrient intake during the early growth period on the expression of glucose metabolism-related genes in skeletal muscle of cross-bred cattle. From 1.5 to 5 months of age, group H (n=7) animals were intensively fed a high-protein and low-fat milk replacer [crude protein (CP) 28%; ether extracts (EE) 18%; max: 2.0 kg, 12 l/day], and group R (n=7) animals were fed a restricted amount of normal milk replacer (CP 25%; EE 23%; max 0.5 kg, 4 l/day). From 6 to 10 months of age, group H cattle were fed a high-nutrition total mixed ration mainly prepared from grain feed, and group R cattle were fed only roughage. Blood samples were taken from each animal at three biopsy times (1.5, 5 and 10 months of age), and the blood plasma concentration of glucose and insulin was analysed. In glucose concentration, there were no significant differences; however, the concentrations of insulin were higher in group H than in group R at 5 and 10 months of age. Muscle samples were taken by biopsy from longissimus thoracis muscle (LT) at 1.5, 5 and 10 months of age. We analysed mRNA expression levels using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for glucose transporters (GLUT1 and GLUT4), insulin receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K), protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt), hexokinase 1 (HK1) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Although no differences were detected at 1.5 and 5 months of age, at 10 months of age, GLUT1, HK1 and TNFα mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in group H than in group R. These results suggested Glut1 that affects insulin-independently mediated glucose uptake was more responsive to improved nutrition during early growth stage than GLUT4 that insulin-dependently mediated glucose uptake in LT of cattle.

[Immunological responses in pregnancy. The studies on the role of the uterus in gestation and effects to lymphocytes subpopulation (author's transl)].

The lymphocytes that isolated from the both peripheral venous blood (PVB) and uterine venous blood (UVB) of pregnant women with a complication of myoma were studied on the subpopulation (E-rosette and S-Ig method) and lymphoblastoid transformation to mitogens. Two methods on the E-rosette in this study were applied to make a clear correlation between masking phenomenon and humoral factors. One is to be used lymphocytes that washed five times with P.B.S., the other one cultured in RPMI 1640 with 20% FCS for 72 hours afterward. The results were obtained as follows. 1) Although T-cell of UVB displayed significantly lower than that of PVB. The count of T-cell of both PVB and UVB elevated to standard level after washing five times with P.B.S. and/or cultured for 72 hours. 2) The average counts of B-cell by the S-Ig were not detected on the difference between of PVB and UVB. 3) No differences in ratio of lymphoblastoid were recognized on the both lymphocytes of PVB and UVB to PHA and PWM too. 4) AFter five times washing, the counts of T-cell in UVB improved to standard value range. Therefore no difference of the counts in T-cell were detected between in PVB and UVB.