Relationship between the milk yield response to short-term bovine somatotropin treatment and the lipolytic response to adrenaline in dairy cows.

The aim of this experiment was to determine if the milk yield response of dairy cows to short-term treatment with bovine somatotropin (bST) was correlated with the non-esterified fatty-acid (NEFA) response to an adrenaline challenge. Twenty-six multiparous Holstein cows (58+/-5.4 days postpartum) received daily sub-cutaneous injections of saline for 7 days followed by sub-cutaneous injections of 20mg/day of bST for 14 days. On day 7 of the saline treatment and day 14 of the bST treatment the cows were given an intravenous injection of adrenaline (1.4 microg/kg body weight). Blood samples were taken before and after the adrenaline challenge. The difference in milk yield between the saline and the second week of bST treatment (MYR) varied considerably between animals (from -0.4 to +8.0 kg/day). MYR was positively correlated with the change in the basal concentration of NEFA between the saline and second week of bST treatment, as well as with the change in the area under the profile of NEFA above basal values following the adrenaline challenge. It remains to be established whether the greater lipolytic responses to adrenaline of the cows with the greater MYR reflects the deeper negative energy that these animals also experienced or a fundamental difference in the physiology of their adipose tissue.

Correlation of blood and milk components with the milk yield response to bovine somatotropin in dairy cows.

Our aim was to correlate the individual variation in the milk yield response (MYR) of Holstein dairy cows to bovine somatotropin (bST), with changes in milk plasmin and plasminogen activities as well as with plasma hormone and metabolite levels. Thirty-two housed multiparous Holstein cows (90 +/- 3.8 days post partum) received daily subcutaneous injections of saline for 1 week followed by subcutaneous injections of 20 mg/day of bST for 2 weeks. Blood samples were taken at approximately 4h intervals over 24 h at the end of the saline and bST treatment periods. Milk samples were also taken at the end of the saline and bST treatment periods. The difference in milk yield between the saline and the second week of bST treatment (MYR) varied considerably between animals (from -0.2 to +8.6 kg/day, relative to the saline treatment week). Low milk yield before bST treatment was associated with a high MYR. The plasma growth hormone response to treatment was negatively correlated with MYR. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 response to treatment was positively correlated with MYR. Furthermore, a high MYR to bST was associated with a lower milk plasminogen level before treatment and a greater reduction in the level of plasminogen in milk following treatment.

Individual variation in the milk yield response to bovine somatotropin in dairy cows.

The objective was to relate the short-term milk yield response (MYR) following use of exogenous bovine somatotropin (bST) to changes in plasma concentrations of metabolites and hormones. Twenty-four Holstein cows (52 +/- 4.1 d postpartum) received daily subcutaneous injections of saline for 1 wk followed by subcutaneous injections of 33 mg/d of bST for 2 wk (Trial 1). The difference in milk yield between wk 1 and 3 for each cow was used to determine the 5 cows with the highest (HR) and 5 with the lowest responses (LR) to bST. These 10 cows were then used in 3 further trials of the same design (Trials 2, 3, and 4, conducted at 122, 181, and 237 +/- 7.6 d postpartum, respectively). Blood samples were taken 2 h after the administration of bST on d 1, 3, 5, 15, 17, and 19 of each trial. The HR group had consistently greater MYR to bST than the LR group throughout their lactation. The LR group had a higher milk yield and lower plasma insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations during the saline treatment in all trials. The increase in plasma somatotropin concentrations following injections of bST was greater for the LR group, whereas the difference in plasma IGF-I level between wk 1 and 3 was greater for the HR group. The HR group had lower levels of 3-hydroxy-butyrate and nonesterified fatty acids before bST treatment. Low short-term response to bST was associated with plasma concentrations of hormones and metabolites that indicate negative energy balance, although other factors may be involved.

Absorption of radiocaesium by sheep after ingestion of contaminated soils.

The absorption of 137Cs by sheep following ingestion of contaminated soil was studied using an established dual isotope method. Two agricultural soils were studied: an alluvial gley contaminated by discharges to the sea from the Sellafield Reprocessing Plant, and a lowland organic soil that had been artificially contaminated. Values of the true absorption coefficient of radiocaesium of 0.19 +/- 0.03 and 0.03 +/- 0.01, respectively, were obtained for these soils. This implies that availability of soil-associated radiocaesium for uptake following ingestion is up to about 20% of that when the activity is incorporated in vegetation. These results have been compared to estimates of availability made using an in-vitro approach described previously and found to be in good agreement. However, comparison with in-vitro data obtained for an upland peat indicated that absorption from some upland organic soils could be greater than from the lowland organic soil.

Glucose and L-lactate metabolism in pregnant and in lactating ewes fed barley- or ground maize-based diets.

The contribution of glucose absorbed from the small intestine to whole-body glucose metabolism was examined in ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation, using diets based on ground barley or ground maize. Glucose and L-lactate turnover in the whole body and the mesenteric-drained viscera were investigated in these ewes using isotope dilution techniques. The net absorption of glucose by the mesenteric-drained viscera and whole-body glucose turnover were unaffected by diet or reproductive status. Arterial and mesenteric venous blood glucose concentrations, arterial and mesenteric venous L-lactate concentrations and whole-body lactate turnover were all significantly higher in lactation than in pregnancy. The whole-body rates of lactate conversion to glucose and to other products were significantly higher in lactation than in pregnancy. Using a two-pool model of whole-body glucose and lactate metabolism, a relatively high percentage of glucose was converted to lactate (64-84%), accounting for 60-80% of whole-body lactate turnover. A model of glucose and lactate metabolism by the mesenteric-drained viscera was constructed. Both the calculated endogenous glucose production and the visceral conversion of glucose to lactate were greater in lactation than in pregnancy when barley was fed. Calculated total glucose absorption was relatively constant, contributing between 26 and 59% of whole-body glucose turnover. Diet had little effect on glucose and lactate metabolism in either the mesenteric-drained viscera or the whole-body of breeding ewes.

Influence of experimental hyperthyroidism on insulin action in growing sheep.

The effects of moderate hyperthyroidism on insulin action were studied in five growing sheep (42 kg live weight [LW]) by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, with insulin infused at rates of 0.33, 1.00, and 6.00 mU/kg LW/min over successive 2-hour periods. Animals were injected with saline (control) or thyroxine (15 micrograms/kg LW/d) for 21 days and measurements performed during the final 7 days of each period. Thyroxine (T4) treatment elevated plasma T4 less than threefold and plasma triiodothyronine (T3) twofold. T4 treatment elevated basal plasma glucose concentration (P less than .01) and insulin metabolic clearance rate at the highest rate of insulin infusion (P less than .05). The maximal insulin-induced increase in glucose metabolic clearance rate (responsiveness) was unaffected by T4 treatment, but the insulin concentration for a half-maximal response (sensitivity) was lowered during T4 treatment (122 v 58 microU/mL, P less than .05). Insulin infusion failed to completely suppress endogenous glucose output; T4 treatment had no effect. Insulin caused dose-dependent reductions in circulating concentrations of alpha-amino N, alanine, D-3-hydroxybutyrate, and glycerol, but not nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). T4 treatment increased the sensitivity and responsiveness of alpha-amino N and alanine concentrations to insulin, the sensitivity of D-3-hydroxybutyrate (all P less than .05), and the responsiveness of glycerol to insulin (P less than .01). Thus moderate hyperthyroidism in growing sheep modifies the ability of insulin to regulate metabolism.

Insulin binding to skeletal muscle microsomes in lactating and dry sheep.

Microsomes were prepared from skeletal muscles taken from lactating and non lactating ewes. Insulin binding to these microsomes was not affected by reproductive status. There were significant differences in the ability of individual muscles to bind insulin. These differences correlated with the function of the muscle, as defined by the predominant muscle fibre type.

Effect of plane of nutrition on insulin sensitivity during lactation in the ewe.

The hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic insulin clamp technique was used to compare insulin sensitivity in lactating ewes at two levels of feeding. Clamps were performed at two (restricted intake) or three (ad libitum intake) stages of lactation and also 30 d after drying off. Dose response curves for insulin were constructed using the glucose metabolic clearance rate (MCR) as the measure of glucose metabolism and these were statistically compared between stages of lactation within the feeding levels, and also between feeding regimes. Animals on a restricted feed intake showed a weight loss throughout lactation, coupled with a lower insulin sensitivity as measured by the ED50 (concentration of insulin required to produce a half maximal increase in MCR), while those on ad libitum feeding showed a weight gain and a decreased insulin sensitivity in the dry period. Endogenous glucose production was less sensitive to inhibition by insulin in the animals subjected to restricted food intake, compared with those on the ad libitum regime, which suggested a major role for the plane of nutrition in adjusting the homeorhetic control of metabolism during lactation.

Effect of protein intake on gastrin secretion in ruminants.

Plasma gastrin concentrations were measured in portal and peripheral circulations in sheep and in cows in response to feeding diets of varying protein content. Mean plasma gastrin concentrations did not increase in response to feeding at either sampling site in contrast with the known response in non-ruminants. Plasma gastrin levels were similar when feeding diets of varying protein content to both sheep and cows and also when comparing portal and peripheral concentrations in sheep. Basal jugular venous gastrin concentrations in the cow at 40.5 +/- 4.13 pg gastrin 17/ml were lower than values measured in sheep portal blood at 67.6 +/- 12.70. The latter, however, was comparable with known values for humans.

Diurnal variations in the concentration, arteriovenous difference, extraction ratio, and uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate and plasma free fatty acids in the hind limb of lactating sheep.

Four lactating sheep were used to study diurnal variations in the concentration, arteriovenous concentration difference, extraction ratio, and uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate and plasma free fatty acids by the hind limb of the lactating sheep. The arterial and venous concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate showed significant diurnal variations, which appear to be related to the feeding regimen, since values declined after feed withdrawal and rose after refeeding. Throughout the experimental period uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate by the hind-limb was consistent and none of the small variations in arteriovenous difference, extraction ratio, or uptake of 3-hydroxybutyrate by the hind limb was statistically significant. By contrast, free fatty acid concentrations in arterial blood rose steadily after feed withdrawal. Except at feeding time, there was an output of free fatty acid by the hind limb.

Effects of dietary triolein and sunflower oil on insulin release and lipid metabolism in Zucker rats.

Obese and lean male Zucker rats were fed ad libitum on diets containing either 50 (L) or 200 (H) g/kg diet of either triolein (T) or sunflowerseed oil (S). The specific activity of the hepatic microsomal delta 9 desaturase enzyme was depressed in both lean and obese rats fed the HS diet compared with the other three diets. The fatty acid composition of liver and subcutaneous white adipose tissue lipids were consistent with a lower delta 9 desaturation activity in rats fed the H diets, particularly for the HS diet. In both genotypes, microsomal delta 9 desaturase activity and the ratio of 16:1/(16:0 + 16:1) fatty acids in liver lipids were inversely related to the proportion of 18:2 in liver lipid. Plasma insulin concentrations and rates of glucose-stimulated insulin release in vivo were higher in obese rats compared with lean rats, and plasma insulin levels were higher in rats fed S compared with T. There was no relationship between delta 9 desaturase activity and either plasma insulin concentration or rates of insulin release in vitro. These findings suggest that hepatic delta 9 desaturase activity of Zucker rats is responsive to changes in the proportion of 18:2 in liver lipids but is not affected by changes in insulin secretion.

Absorption and metabolism of glucose by the mesenteric-drained viscera of sheep fed on dried-grass or ground, maize-based diets.

Sheep fitted with re-entrant canulas in the proximal duodenum and terminal ileum were used to determine the amount of alpha-glucoside entering, and apparently disappearing from, the small intestine when either dried-grass or ground maize-based diets were fed. The fate of any alpha-glucoside entering the small intestine was studied by comparing the net disappearance of such alpha-glucoside from the small intestine with the absorption of glucose into the mesenteric venous blood. Glucose absorption from the small intestine was measured in sheep equipped with catheters in the mesenteric vein and carotid artery. A continuous infusion of [6-3H]glucose was used to determine glucose utilization by the mesenteric-drained viscera and the whole-body glucose turnover rate (GTR). The amounts of alpha-glucoside entering the small intestine when the dried-grass and maize-based diets were given were 13.9 (SE 1.5) and 95.4 (SE 16.2) g/24 h respectively; apparent digestibilities of such alpha-glucoside in the small intestine were 60 and 90% respectively. The net absorption of glucose into the mesenteric venous blood was -2.03 (SE 1.20) and 19.28 (SE 0.75) mmol/h for the dried-grass and maize-based diets respectively. Similarly, total glucose absorption amounted to 1.52 (SE 1.35) and 23.33 (SE 1.86) mmol/h (equivalent to 7 and 101 g/24 h respectively). These values represented 83 and 111% of the alpha-glucoside apparently disappearing from the small intestine, determined using the re-entrant cannulated sheep. Total glucose absorption represented 8 and 61% of the whole-body GTR for the dried-grass and maize-based diets respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Insulin action and glucose metabolism in sheep fed on dried-grass or ground, maize-based diets.

The effect of an exogenous supply of glucose, provided by the digestion of maize starch in the small intestine, on endogenous glucose metabolism and insulin action was studied in sheep using the euglycaemic insulin clamp procedure. Insulin was infused intravenously at rates of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 6.0 mU/min per kg live weight for four consecutive periods in each of four sheep fed on dried-grass and maize-based diets. Glucose was also infused intravenously at a variable rate, sufficient to maintain the plasma glucose concentration at basal levels. Whole-body rates of glucose metabolism were determined using a continuous infusion of [6-3H]glucose. From the resulting insulin dose-response curves, it was observed that, when the sheep were fed on the dried-grass diet, the responsiveness of glucose metabolism to insulin was less than that reported for non-ruminants. When fed the maize-based diet, the glucose metabolic clearance rates (MCR) observed during insulin infusions were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) than those observed for the dried-grass diet. However, after correcting for the non-insulin-mediated glucose disposal, differences between diets were not significant. The sensitivity of glucose utilization to insulin was not affected by diet. The plasma insulin concentrations causing half-maximal insulin-mediated glucose MCR were 103 (SE 21) and 85 (SE 11) mU/l for the dried-grass and maize-based diets respectively. The sensitivity of endogenous glucose production to insulin was also unaffected by diet. The plasma insulin concentrations resulting in the suppression of endogenous glucose production to half the basal level were 80 (SE 26) and 89 (SE 29) mU/l for the dried-grass and maize-based diets respectively. It is concluded that the observed increase in glucose utilization on the maize-based diet was due partly to a slight change in responsiveness to insulin and also partly to a change in the rate of non-insulin-mediated glucose disposal.

Activities of enzymes related to NADPH generation and amino acid metabolism in the ruminal mucosa of sheep.

Experiments were performed with growing lambs to investigate dietary influences on enzymes involved in the metabolism of propionate, amino acids and NADPH in the ruminal mucosa. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was the only enzyme assayed that was consistently affected by diet. First, lambs were fed either rolled barley, resulting in epithelial hyperkeratosis, or whole unprocessed barley, resulting in keratin aplasia and reduced GDH activity. Secondly, lambs were fed isonitrogenous diets containing either fish meal or urea. GDH activity was greater when fish meal was fed. NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase was more active than other NADPH-generating enzymes in ruminal mucosa and several other lamb tissues, but the operation of the isocitrate cycle in rumen epithelium may be restricted by a low activity of aconitate hydratase. These results suggest that enzyme activities in ruminal mucosa are generally unresponsive to diet and that adaptations in GDH are related to changes in rumen morphology, rather than to isocitrate cycle activity or ammonia assimilation.

Influence of chronic thyroxine treatment on plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations and on responses to insulin, glucagon and thyrotrophin releasing hormone in adult sheep.

Four adult sheep fed twice daily were given daily subcutaneous injections of saline for four weeks, followed by a similar period of daily L-thyroxine (T4) injection (1 mg/day). T4 treatment increased basal plasma concentrations of T4, triiodothyronine (T3), insulin and glucose, together with T3-uptake and the free thyroxine index, while cholesterol and urea concentrations decreased. T4 treatment reduced the rise in prolactin levels after the morning meal. Thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) injection increased plasma T3 only in the control period and T3-uptake only in the T4 treatment period. T4 treatment did not affect the prolactin response to TRH injection or the insulin and glucose responses to glucagon injection. The increase in insulin concentrations after insulin injection and the secondary hyperglycaemia following initial insulin-induced hypoglycaemia were reduced by T4 treatment.

Enhanced responsiveness to insulin in sheep exposed to cold.

The effects of cold exposure on tissue sensitivity and responsiveness to insulin were determined by the euglycemic insulin clamp technique. Insulin was infused at rates of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 6.0, and 30.0 mU x kg-1 x min-1 into five adult sheep in a warm environment and after cold exposure (0 degree C) from 7 to 23 days. Cold exposure increased basal plasma glucose concentration and basal glucose irreversible loss. Glucose metabolic clearance rate (MCR) was significantly increased by cold exposure at all rates of insulin infusion, with increases ranging from 44 to 72%. The insulin concentration causing half-maximal stimulation of glucose MCR was unchanged by environment (warm, 42 microU/ml; cold, 36 microU/ml). Combined alpha + beta-adrenergic blockade did not affect the increased response to insulin during cold exposure. Endogenous (hepatic) glucose production was inhibited by insulin to a similar extent in the two environments and was less sensitive to insulin than was glucose utilization or MCR. The results suggest that cold exposure increases the responsiveness to insulin of a postreceptor event in peripheral tissues.

Effects of cold exposure on insulin and glucagon secretion in sheep.

The effectiveness of cold exposure on the secretion of insulin and glucagon were examined using five adult sheep. Endocrine responses were studied in a warm environment and after cold exposure (0 C) from 4-19 days. Compared to levels at room temperature, basal plasma glucose levels were elevated during cold exposure, but basal levels of plasma insulin and glucagon were unchanged. Cold exposure significantly decreased the early insulin response to a primed iv infusion of glucose. Plasma glucose and glucagon levels during glucose infusion were unaffected by cold exposure. The decrease in plasma glucose after iv insulin injection (0.2 U/kg BW) was greater during cold exposure than at room temperature. Butyrate injection (0.625 mmol/kg, iv) resulted in a significantly lower secretion of both insulin and glucagon in the cold than in the warm environment. The glucagon response to arginine infusion (0.5 g/kg over 30 min, iv) was elevated by cold exposure, whereas the insulin response to arginine tended to be reduced. Propranolol infusion (20 micrograms/kg . min, iv) caused a slight inhibition of insulin secretion in the cold environment, but did not affect glucagon levels in either the cold or warm environment. Phentolamine infusion (20 micrograms/kg . min, iv) inhibited glucagon secretion, particularly in the cold environment, and caused a markedly greater stimulation of insulin secretion in the cold. It is concluded that cold exposure insufficient to cause hypothermia decreases insulin secretion in response to a variety of stimuli. Effects of cold on glucagon secretion depend upon the stimulating agent used.