Summary
An experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of somatotropin on plasma free amino acid, urea and insulin concentrations and rumen fermentation pattern and to assess their relationships. Four Italian Friesian dairy cows fitted with rumen cannulae were used in a switch-back design. Slow releasing recombinant bovine somatotropin (640 mg/cow) was injected every 28 days for two consecutive periods. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected before and after feeding at 0, 7 and 21 days after rbST injection. Exogenous rbST increased plasma insulin concentration and the insulin response to feeding, and decreased plasma urea and free essential and branched chain amino acid concentrations. rbST did not affect rumen fermentation pattern. No correlation was found between rumen and plasma parameters measured after feeding. Our results are consistent with the notion that the main effect of somatotropin is post-absorptive.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baldi A, Rosi F, Cheli F, Savoini G, Dell'Orto V, Salimei E (1990) bST treatment in dairy cows fed different levels of concentrate: effects on plasma free amino acids. Proceedings of the 41st Annual Meeting European Association Animal Production, Toulose 1990, p 176 (Abstr)
Cattaneo D, Salimei E, Savoini G, Baldi A, Cheli F, Fantuz F, Dell'Orto V (1993) Effetti dell'impiego di somatotropina bovina e dei saponi di calcio su produzione e composizione del latte. Zoot Nutr Anim 4: 217–228
Chalupa W, Galligan DT (1989) Nutritional implications of somatotropin for lactating cows. J Dairy Sci 72: 2510–2524
Cisse M, Chillard Y, Coxam V, Davicco MJ, Remond B (1991) Slow release somatotropin in dairy heifers and cows fed two levels of concentrate. 2. Plasma hormones and metabolites. J Dairy Sci 74: 1382–1394
Condon GC (1986) Amino acid analysis. Theory and laboratory techniques. LKB Biochrom Limited, Cambridge, England, p 63
Davis SR, Collier RJ, Mc Namara JP, Head HH, Sussman W (1988) Effects of thyroxine and growth hormone treatment of dairy cows on milk yield, cardiac output and mammary blood flow. J Anim Sci 66: 70–79
Dell'Orto V, Savoini G (1991) Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) treatment in dairy cows: effect on ruminal activity and milk properties. Microbiologie-Aliments-Nutrition 9: 121–132
Dell'Orto V, Savoini G, Salimei E, Cattaneo D, Secchi C, Rosi F (1993) Effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on productive and physiological parameters related to dairy cow welfare. Livest Prod Sci 36: 71–75
Fullerton FM, Mepham TB, Fleet JR, Heap RB (1989) Changes in mammary uptake of essential amino acids in lactating Jersey cows in response to exogenous bovine pituitary somatotropin. In: Heap RP, Prosser CG, Lamming GE (eds) Biotechnology in growth regulation. Butterworths, London, p 239
Guinard J, Rulquin H (1995) Effects of graded amount of methionine on the mammary uptake of major milk precursors in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 78: 2196–2207
Hanigan MD, Calvert CC, DePeters EJ, Reis BL, Baldwin RL (1992) Kinetic of amino acids extraction by lactating mammary glands in control and Sometribove-treated Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 5: 161–173
Knapp JR, Freetly HC, Reis BL, Calvert CC, Baldwin RL (1992) Effects of somatotropin and substrates on patterns of liver metabolism in lactating dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 75: 1025–1036
Liesman JS, McNamara JP, Capuco AV, Binelli M, Vanderkooi WK, Emery RS, Tucker HA, Moseley WM (1995) Comparison of growth hormone-releasing factor and somatotropin: lipid and glucose metabolism in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 78: 2159–2166
Magri KA, Adamo M, LeRoith D, Etherton TD (1990) The inhibition of insulin action and glucose metabolism by porcine growth hormone in porcine adipocites is not the result of any decrease in insulin binding or insulin receptor kinase activity. Biochem J 266: 107–113
McDowell GH, Hart IC, Bines JA, Lindsay DB, Kirby AC (1987) Effects of pituitaryderived bovine growth hormone on production parameters and biokinetics of key metabolites in lactating dairy cows at peak and mid lactation. Austr J Biol Sci 40: 191–202
Morgan LM, Flatt PR, Marks V (1988) Nutrient regulation of the entero-insular axis and insulin secretion. Nutr Res Rev 1: 79–98
Oldenbroek JK, Garssen GJ, Forbes AB, Jonker LJ (1989) The effect of treatment of dairy cows of different breeds with recombinantly derived bovine somatotropin in a sustained-delivery vehicle. Livest Prod Sci 21: 13–34
Peel CJ, Bauman DE (1987) Somatotropin and lactation. J Dairy Sci 70: 474–486
Reynold CK, Harmon DL, Cecava MJ (1994) Absorption and delivery of nutrients for milk synthesis by portal-drained viscera. J Dairy Sci 77: 2787–2808
Robinson PH, DeBoer G, Kennelly JJ (1991) Effect of bovine somatotropin and protein on rumen fermentation and forestomach and whole tract digestion in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 74: 3505–3517
Ronge H, Blum JW (1989) Insulin-like growth factor I response to recombinant bovine growth hormone during feed restriction in heifers. Acta Endocr (Copenhagen) 120: 735–744
Savoini G, Van Vuuren AM, Van Der Koelen CJ (1992) The effects of daily administration of recombinantly-derived somatotropic hormone on feed intake, digestibility, milk composition and rumen fermentation in dairy cows. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 68: 185–196
Sechen SJ, Bauman DE, Tyrrel HF, Reynolds PJ (1989) Effect of somatotropin on kinetics of nonesterified fatty acids and partition of energy, carbon and nitrogen in lactating dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 72: 59–67
Sutton JD, Hart IC, Moran SV, Schuller E, Simmond AD (1988) Feeding frequency for lactating cows: diurnal pattern of hormones and metabolites in peripheral blood in relation to milk fat concentration. Br J Nutr 60: 265–274
SAS/STAT (1983) User's Guide Statistics, Ed Cary, NC, SAS Institute., Inc. USA
Vernon RY (1988) Influence of somatotropin on metabolism. In: Sejersen K, Vestergaard M, Neimann Sorensen A (eds) Use of somatotropin in livestock production. Elsevier Applied Science, London, New York, pp 31–50
Walton PE, Etherton TD, Evock CM (1986) Antagonism of insulin action in cultured pig adipose tissue by pituitary and recombinant porcine growth hormone: potentiation by hydrocortisone. Endocrinology 118: 2577–2581
Wanderkooi WK, Vandehaar MJ, Sharma BK, Binelli M, Tucker HA, Akers RM, Moseley WM (1995) Comparison of growth hormone-releasing factor and somatotropin: the somatotropic axis in lactating primiparous cows. J Dairy Sci 78: 2140–2149
Winsryg MD, Arambel MJ, Kent BA, Walters JL (1991) Effect of sometribove on rumen fermentation, rate of passage, digestibility and milk production responses in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 74: 3518–3523
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cheli, F., Baldi, A., Gregoretti, L. et al. Changes of plasma insulin, urea, amino acids and rumen metabolites in somatotropin treated dairy cows. Amino Acids 15, 187–194 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01318858
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01318858