Effects of prepartum supplementary fat and muscle hypertrophy genotype on cold tolerance in newborn calves.

Abstract

Effects of feeding pregnant dams supplemental dietary fat during the last 55 d of gestation on cold tolerance of newborn crossbred calves with (Piedmontese cross, P, n = 15) or without (Hereford cross, H, n = 16) the muscle hypertrophy allele was determined. Primiparous F1 dams gestating F2 calves of the respective breeds were assigned randomly within breed to receive gestation diets containing either 2.2 (Low Fat; LF) or 5.1% fat (High Fat; HF). Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds containing 37% oil with 79% linoleic acid were the supplemental fat source in diets formulated to be isocaloric-isonitrogenous. At parturition, calves were separated from their dams, fed 38 degrees C pooled dairy cow colostrum (30 mL/kg BW), muzzled to prevent suckling, and returned to their dams in a heated (22 degrees C) room for 3.5 h. At 4 h of age (birth = 0 h), a catheter was inserted into the jugular vein. At 5 h of age, calves were placed in a 0 degrees C room for 140 min, and rectal temperatures and blood samples were obtained at 10- and 20-min intervals. Blood was assayed for cortisol and glucose. Rectal temperature was affected by diet (P<.05), time, diet x time, and breed x time (P<.01 for time and the interactions). Cortisol and glucose concentrations were not affected by diet, breed, or the diet x breed interaction, but they were affected by time, breed x time (both P<.01), and diet x time (P = .06). Calves from HF dams had higher rectal temperatures than calves from LF dams, and the HF calves maintained higher rectal temperatures throughout cold exposure. Cortisol concentrations were lower (P = .06) in calves from HF dams, and these calves had more (P = .06) glucose available for metabolic heat production than calves from LF dams. Piedmontese-cross calves maintained higher (P<.01) rectal temperatures and had higher cortisol and glucose (both P<.01) concentrations than did H-cross calves. We conclude that feeding dams supplemental fat during late gestation increased heat production in newborn calves and potentially could increase calf survival; calves with muscle hypertrophy may have a different ratio of shivering vs nonshivering thermogenesis due to differences in body composition or relationships among uncoupling proteins.

Effect of bypass fat supplementation on productive and reproductive performance in crossbred cows

“…The average body weight of calves at the time of birth was higher in G2 than that of G1, which was due to higher energy intake in G2 during prepartum period on bypass fat supplementation (Lammoglia et al 1999). The successful calving per cent was higher in G2 cows than those of G1, which may be due to higher concentration of linoleic acid (31.51%) in the supplemental bypass fat fed G2.…”

Thermogenesis, blood metabolites and hormones, and growth of lambs born to ewes supplemented with algae-derived docosahexaenoic acid1

“…Linoleic acid is the major energy source fueling BAT in lambs (Lammoglia et al, 1999a). The effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; also a PUFA) on BAT have not been studied.…”

A Novel Role for Arginine in Enhancing Neonatal Thermogenesis.

“…Knowing the important role of epigenetic changes and fetal programming during fetal development, it is possible that alterations made in utero could provide significant changes to the fetus and multiple generations. The observation that calves also had higher circulating concentrations of glucose at all time points in the Lammoglia et al (1999a) study may indicate that glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity is altered in these animals. Impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity may contribute to increased adiposity and decreased efficiency of growth, as observed in other mammalian species (Cerf et al 2006;Cerf et al 2005;Ford et al 2009;Long et al 2010;Shiell et al 2000;Srinivasan et al 2006;Yan et al 2011;Zhang et al 2011).…”

“…One such study showed that feeding beef females supplemental fat during gestation resulted in increased glucose concentrations leading to favorable responses in body temperature of the newborn calves (Lammoglia et al 1999b). Another study subjected newborn calves to a cold challenge at 0°C for 140 minutes and calves born from dams fed a high fat diet (5.1%) had higher rectal temperatures than the calves born from the control dams (Lammoglia et al 1999a). However, while fat supplementation may increase neonatal thermogenesis, the long term effects of a high fat diet during gestation must be taken into consideration.…”