Effects of bovine somatotropin (bST) on irreversible loss rate (ILR) and oxidation rate of glucose and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) were examined. Nine lactating cows received bST or excipient in a single reversal design using 14-d periods. Kinetic variables were estimated by compartmental analysis of blood metabolite and expired CO2 specific activity values obtained during infusion of [U-14C]glucose or [1-14C]palmitate. With bST treatment, milk energy yield increased by 31% but feed intake was unchanged. Blood glucose concentrations were not affected by treatment or correlated with any glucose kinetic variables. In the control period, glucose ILR was 12.1 mol/d with 66.5% utilized for milk lactose synthesis and 17.4% oxidized to CO2. Treatment with bST increased glucose ILR (+1.5 mol/d) and reduced glucose oxidation (-0.4 mol/d); this accommodated the additional glucose (+1.3 mol/d) required for the increase in lactose secretion. Increases in milk energy yield with bST treatment caused cows to be in a substantial negative net energy balance (-9.8 Mcal/d). No acute lipolytic response occurred with bST treatment, but plasma NEFA were chronically elevated (+104 mumol/L) and NEFA ILR increased (+2.3 mol/d). Increased NEFA turnover was primarily used for increased oxidation to CO2 (+0.5 mol/d) and 41% increase in milk fat (equal to approximately 1.3 mol fatty acids/d). For NEFA, plasma concentrations were correlated with ILR (r = +0.80), oxidation to CO2 (r = +0.74) and net energy balance (r = -0.78). Overall, bST resulted in an exquisite coordination of metabolism to meet nutrient needs for increased synthesis of milk components.

In this review, "productive efficiency" in dairy cows is defined as the yield of milk obtained in ratio to the nutritional costs associated with maintenance, milk synthesis and loss of body condition during lactation. Improvements in efficiency could occur as a result of changes in digestion and nutrient absorption, maintenance requirement, utilization of metabolizable energy for production or nutrient partitioning. Digestibility can be greatly enhanced by appropriate dietary manipulation. Likewise, it may be possible to reduce maintenance requirements and improve the efficiency with which metabolizable energy is used for milk synthesis by manipulation of the pattern of nutrients presented to tissues. However, these factors apparently do not respond to selection for increased milk yield, and little variation is observed among cows. In contrast, individual cows differ substantially in feed intake and in the partitioning of nutrients among body tissues. Techniques associated with genetic engineering and the early prediction of genetic merit have the potential to improve productive efficiency by manipulation of these processes. However, changes in nutrient partitioning and feed intake during lactation are coordinated by a complex network of controls that accommodate the nutrient requirements of each tissue while maintaining homeostatic balance. Future improvements in productive efficiency will therefore depend on our ability to understand the manner in which these controls operate.

Effects of exogenous bovine somatotropin (bST) on energy and nitrogen utilization by high producing dairy cows were examined. Nine cows received bST (51.5 IU/d) or exipient (control) in a single reversal design involving 14-d treatment periods. Energy and nitrogen balances were measured in open-circuit respiration chambers. Yield of 4% solids-corrected milk was increased by 22% with bST treatment. Dry matter intake and the apparent digestibilities of dry matter, energy and nitrogen were not altered by treatment. The only significant component of nitrogen utilization that was altered by bST treatment was an increase in milk nitrogen secretion. Cows were in negative tissue nitrogen balance during the control period (-21 g/d) and tended to become more negative during the bST treatment period (-34 g/d). Heat energy loss and milk energy secretion were increased with bST treatment. Tissue energy balance was -1.1 Mcal/d during the control treatment period and the use of energy reserves with bST treatment decreased tissue energy balance to -9.8 Mcal/d. Changes in heat production with bST treatment were equal to those predicted from the changes in milk and body tissue. Overall, the results demonstrated that bST treatment increased yield of milk and milk components even when cows were in negative nitrogen and energy balance. Effects of bST were predominantly associated with nutrient partitioning, and observed heat loss (associated with maintenance and partial efficiencies of milk synthesis and tissue utilization) did not differ from predicted heat loss.

1.A method for estimating the proportions of bacterial-and protozoal-N in the total non-ammonia-N reaching the lower gut of the ruminant under steady-state conditions was evaluated. Three trials using two different diets were conducted with a Holstein steer equipped with a rumen cannula and duodenal re-entrant cannulas.2. An intraruminal primed infusion of (lSNH,),SO, was administered for 68 h during each trial. Bacteria and protozoa samples were isolated from rumen fluid at approximately 6 h intervals during each infusion period. Total non-ammonia-N was isolated from duodenal digesta samples taken at approximately the same times. All of these samples were analysed for I5N enrichment. A computer program was used to fit equations to the 16N-enrichment curves of bacterial-and protozoal-N. Models of both bacterial-and protozoal-N kinetics consisted of a small pool which equilibrated rapidly with rumen NH, and a large pool with a fractional turnover rate of 0,045-0,070/h for bacterial-N and 0.056-0.069/h for protozoal-N.3. Abomasal fluid turnover was estimated by a single injection of polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 4000) into the rumen followed by sampling of rumen fluid and duodenal digesta.4. Estimates of abomasal fluid turnover, bacterial-N turnover, and protozoal-N turnover were entered into an equation which was adjusted by computer iteration to fit the lSN-enrichment curve of duodenal digesta non-NH,-N generated from each (1sNH4),S04 infusion period. The computer fit of this equation to the observed results gave estimates of 0.39445 and 0.22-0-41 for the proportion of duodenal non-NH,-N derived from bacterial-N and protozoal-N respectively.5. This method is potentially useful in estimating microbial protein passage to the lower gut in ruminants. Sampling digesta from the omasum rather than the duodenum would simplify the method and possibly increase the reliability of the estimates.

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