Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-npwhs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T18:14:29.116Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations as predictors of dairy merit in young Friesian bulls: effect of metabolic challenges and fasting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. D. S. Mackenzie ,
G. F. Wilson ,
S. N. McCutcheon  and
S. W. Peterson
D. D. S. Mackenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
G. F. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
S. N. McCutcheon
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
S. W. Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

Responses to metabolic challenges were measured in 8-month-old Friesian bull calves with a view to identifying possible predictors of genetic merit for milk fat production. Seven ‘high’ breeding index bulls (mean breeding index for milk fat = 128·9 (s.d. 4·8) percentage units) were compared with six ‘low’ breeding index bulls (mean 107·3 (s.d. 2·4) percentage units). Bulls were from two selection lines and breeding indices calculated as the average of parental breeding index values.

Challenges involved intravenous injection of the following (dose rates per kg body weight): adrenalin (1 μg); glucose (0·17 g); glucagon (0·175 μg); insulin (0·01 mg); and arginine (40 mg). Blood samples were withdrawn prior to and after each challenge (two challenges daily). Bulls were then fasted for 3 days before being refed.

Relative to the low breeding index bulls, those in the high breeding index group exhibited: (a) greater pancreatic sensitivity to circulating glucose as indicated by increased insulin concentrations following the glucose challenge; (b) more rapid clearance of glucose from plasma following the insulin challenge; (c) reduced sensitivity to the glycogenolytic/gluconeogenic effects of glucagon as indicated by lower blood glucose concentrations following intravenous injection of this hormone; (d) elevated plasma insulin and growth hormone concentrations during the fasting period; (e) elevated plasma concentrations of insulin, glucose and urea during refeeding; (f) no difference in responses to intravenous arginine or adrenalin, or in circulating concentrations of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 or alkaline phosphatase. Results are consistent with previous observations that metabolic differences between cattle in the Massey University high and low breeding index lines are most evident in the metabolism of glucose and insulin. Metabolic challenges offer a potentially useful means of predicting genetic merit for milk fat production but the conditions under which repeatable differences between the lines can best be demonstrated are yet to be determined.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , August 1988 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ahlborn-Breier, G., Breier, B. H., Wickham, B. W. and Gluckman, P. D. 1987. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 as a measure of genetic merit for milkfat production. Proceedings of the 4th Animal Science Congress of the Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies, p. 156.Google Scholar
Barnes, M. A., Kazmer, G. W., Akers, R. M. and Pearson, R. E. 1985. Influence of selection for milk yield on endogenous hormones and metabolites in Holstein heifers and cows. Journal of Animal Science 60: 271–284.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bremmers, R. P. M., Morgan, P. F., McCutcheon, S. N. and Purchas, R. W. 1988. Effect of plane of nutrition on nitrogen retention and plasma urea concentrations in fat and meaty Southdown ram hoggets. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research. In press.Google Scholar
Bridges, J. P., MacKenzie, D. D. S. and Flux, D. S. 1987. Blood metabolite responses to catecholamine injections in heifers of high or low genetic merit for milkfat production. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 291–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, M. L., McCutcheon, S. N. and Purchas, R. W. 1986. Metabolic challenges as indicators of genotype. Proceedings of the 11th Workshop on Overfatness and Lean Meat Production from Sheep, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, pp. 17–19.Google Scholar
Clark, C. M., MacKenzie, D., , D. S., McCutcheon, S. N. and Blair, H. T. 1988. Physiological responses to selection for greasy fleeceweight in Romney sheep. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research. In press.Google Scholar
Flux, D. S., MacKenzie, D. D. S. and Wilson, G. F. 1984. Plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations in Friesian cows of differing genetic merit measured at two feeding levels. Animal Production 38: 377–384.Google Scholar
Gilmour, A. R. 1985. REG — a generalised linear models program. Miscellaneous Bulletin, Division of Agricultural Services, Department of Agriculture, New South Wales, No. 1.Google Scholar
Gluckman, P. D. and Butler, J. H. 1983. Parturition-related changes in the insulin-like growth factors I and II in the perinatal lamb. Journal of Endocrinology 99: 223–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazmer, G. W., Barnes, M. A., Akers, R. M. and Pearson, R. E. 1986. Effect of genetic selection for milk yield and increased milking frequency on plasma growth hormone and prolactin concentration in Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 63: 1220–1227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCutcheon, S. N. and Bauman, D. E. 1986. Effect of chronic growth hormone treatment on responses to epinephrine and thyrotropin-releasing hormone in lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 44–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCutcheon, S. N., MacKenzie, D. D. S. and Blair, H. T. 1987. Nitrogen metabolism and plasma urea concentrations in fleeceweight-selected and control Romney rams. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 38: 917–926.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, W. H., Fingerhut, B. and Miller, H. 1965. Automated and manual direct methods for the determination of blood urea. Clinical Chemistry 11: 624–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mersmann, H. J., Pond, W. G. and Yen, Y. T. 1984. Use of carbohydrate and fat as energy source by obese and lean swine. Journal of Animal Science 58: 894–902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peterson, R. G., Nash, T. E. and Shelford, J. A. 1982. Heritabilities and genetic correlations for serum and production traits of lactating Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 65: 1556–1561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sejrsen, K., Larsen, F. and Andersen, B. B. 1984. Use of plasma hormone and metabolite levels to predict breeding value of young bulls for butterfat production. Animal Production 39: 335–344.Google Scholar
Sinnett-Smith, P. A., Slee, J. and Woolliams, J. A. 1987. Biochemical and physiological responses to metabolic stimuli in Friesian calves of differing genetic merit for milk production. Animal Production 44: 11–19.Google Scholar
Tilakaratne, N., Alliston, J. C., Carr, W. R., Land, R. B. and Osmond, T. J. 1980. Physiological attributes as possible selection criteria for milk production. I. Study of metabolites in Friesian calves of high or low genetic merit. Animal Production 30: 327–340.Google Scholar
Walter, K. and Schutt, C. 1974. Acid and alkaline phosphatase in serum. In Methods of Enzymatic Analysis (ed. Bergmeyer, H. U.), Vol. 4, pp. 856–860. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williamson, D. N. and Mellanby, J. 1974. D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate. In Methods of Enzymatic Analysis (ed. Bergmeyer, H. U.), Vol. 4, pp. 1836–1839. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woolliams, J. A. and Smith, C. 1987. The value of indicator traits in the genetic improvement of milk yield. Journal of Dairy Science 70: Suppl. 1, p. 229 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Xing, G. Q., MacKenzie, D. D. S., McCutcheon, S. N., Wilson, G. F. and Flux, D. S. 1988. Plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations in Friesian calves differing in genetic potential for milk production. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research. In press.Google Scholar