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Four crossbred wether lambs (38 kg) with permanent ruminal and abomasal cannulae were used in a 4 X 4 Latin square arrangement of treatments to determine the effect of feeding frequency (FF) on forage fiber and N utilization. Lambs were offered 900 g of good quality (vegetative) Kentucky-31 tall fescue hay in equal portions either 2, 4, 8 or 16 times daily. Water consumption increased (P less than .05; linear) with increased FF. Apparent total tract digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter and cell wall constituents were not affected (P greater than .05) by FF, but apparent total tract digestibility of crude protein decreased (P less than .05; linear) with increased FF. Ruminal and post-ruminal digestion of acid detergent fiber (percent of total tract digestion) differed (P less than .05; cubic) among FF treatments. Although N retention was not affected (P greater than .05) by FF, increased FF decreased (P less than .05; linear) mean ruminal ammonia-N concentrations. Both the quantity of total N reaching the abomasum and the efficiency of microbial crude protein synthesis tended to increase (P greater than .05) with increased FF. In addition, the daily quantity of microbial N reaching the abomasum was affected (P less than .05; cubic) by FF. Ruminal pH was not affected (P greater than .05) by FF, whereas total volatile fatty acid concentrations (VFA) decreased (P less than .05; linear) with increased FF. Responses in molar proportions of individual VFA to FF were variable, and suggest that increasing FF elicits significant changes in the distribution of fermentation end-products.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Six Angus heifer calves (234 kg) were assigned to either a high (HP; 126.1 g N/d) or low (LP; 66.5 g N/d) protein intake to evaluate ruminal criteria associated with movement of blood urea-N (BUN)-derived NH3-N from the rumen wall into interior ruminal digesta. Calves received 4.8 kg DM/d of diets containing 30% cottonseed hulls and 70% cornsoybean meal in equal portions at 4-h intervals. Following single i.v. injections of 15N-urea, ruminal fluid was collected serially for 4 h postinjection from digesta located adjacent to the rumen wall (wall-proximate digesta; WPD) and from the center of the rumen digesta mass after manual agitation (center mixed digesta; CMD). Mean ruminal NH3-N (RAN) concentrations were higher (P less than .05) for HP than for LP, but were not affected (P greater than .05) by digesta sampling site. Ruminal urease activity was higher (P less than .05) for LP than for HP and tended (P = .14) to be higher for WPD than for CMD. Area under the 15N enrichment curve (AUC) ratios between sampling sites (WPD/CMD x 100) for RAN were greater (P less than .05) for LP than for HP. However, AUC ratios for bacterial N were not affected (P greater than .05) by protein level. Whereas BUN-derived 15NH3 appeared to thoroughly equilibrate with RAN in interior ruminal digesta with HP, there appeared to be a declining enrichment gradient for RAN from the rumen wall to the interior ruminal digesta with LP. Data are interpreted to suggest that bacteria at or near the rumen wall may preferentially utilize some BUN-derived NH3-N entering through the rumen wall in calves fed LP diets.

Forty steer calves averaging 257 kg were allotted to a randomized complete block design experiment containing 10 animals per treatment. Four tall fescue pastures of 5.7 ha each were utilized during the 84-d grazing study. Each pasture treatment block contained 10 calves. Calves were fed a control supplement of 96.9% ground corn and 3.1% trace mineral salt in two pastures, or a sulfur supplement that contained 94.3% ground corn, 3.1% trace mineral salt, and 2.5% elemental sulfur in the remaining two pastures. Each supplement was fed at the rate of 0.45 kg/head daily. One-half of the calves in each pasture were injected with 15 mg selenium (Se) as sodium selenite initially and at 28-d intervals throughout the trial. The treatments were as follows: (1) control-no sulfur, no selenium; (2) selenium, no sulfur; (3) sulfur, no selenium and; (4) selenium plus sulfur. Calf weights were monitored and certain blood parameters measured every 28 d. Average plasma Se values were increased (P < 0.001) from 0.021 ppm in calves not receiving Se to 0.043 ppm in those receiving Se. Plasma urea nitrogen levels were not affected by Se administration, but were lowered (P <0.05) from 16.6 to 15.8 mg/100 mL by sulfur administration. All plasma amino acids measured, except methionine, phenylalanine, argi-nine, and citrulline, were cleared from the blood in response to Se supplementation as reflected by their lower concentrations when compared with other treatment groups. Overall average daily gains were not significantly (P > 0.10) increased by sulfur supplementation, but were increased (P < 0.05) from 0.33 kg/d in calves not receiving Se to 0.43 kg/d in those receiving Se injections. Significant interactions between fulfur and Se were not noted.

Diets containing expeller-extracted linseed meal treated with corn oil, lard or coconut oil were fed to lambs to determine the effectiveness of coating the protein in reducing its ruminal degradation. Three common indicators of nitrogen metabolism in the ruminant were used in evaluation: ruminal ammonia, blood plasma ammonia and plasma urea. Eight crossbred lambs, averaging 27 kg in weight, were allotted to the four diets which were fed at a rate of 350 g at 12-hour intervals. Ruminal ammonia, plasma ammonia and plasma urea were monitored at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hr after feeding. Lambs consuming coconut oil-treated linseed meal produced less rumen ammonia (average of .5 mg/100 ml across all collection times) than those fed normal linseed meal (10.3 mg/100 ml). Lambs fed corn oil-treated and lard-treated linseed meal had ruminal ammonia levels intermediate to those fed normal and coconut oil-treated linseed meal. Levels of plasma ammonia and plasma urea nitrogen of normal linseed meal were significantly higher than the same measures with the oil-treated linseed meals. Differences in plasma ammonia and urea nitrogen were not significant among the three oil-treated diets.

An experiment was conducted to determine if the decrease in circulating concentrations of prolactin in cattle consuming endophyte (Acremonium coenophialum) -infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) was associated with changes in prolactin concentrations in the anterior pituitary and concentrations of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the stalk median eminence (SME), preoptic area (POA) and hypothalamus (HP). Six crossbred steers that grazed high-endophyte (greater than 90% infected) fescue and four steers that grazed low-endophyte (less than 1% infected) fescue from April to September were slaughtered. Brains and pituitaries were removed and dissected. Extracts from neural tissue were analyzed for DA, DOPAC and HVA using high performance liquid chromatography/electrochemical detection. Pituitary extracts and sera from blood samples taken 5 d prior to slaughter were subjected to prolactin radioimmunoassay. Consumption of high-endophyte fescue was associated with decreased concentrations of prolactin in serum (P less than .01) and in the anterior pituitary (P = .08), decreased (P less than .05) concentrations of DA in the SME and decreased (P less than .01) concentrations of HVA in the POA and HP, but it did not influence levels of DOPAC. These results suggest that endophyte toxins may reduce prolactin synthesis and release and may alter activity of dopaminergic neurons.

Twenty-one wether lambs averaging 30.0 kg were utilized in a study to determine the influence of level of muscular activity (via electrical stimulation) on metabolism of amino acids and glucose of isolated-perfused hind limbs. Treatments consisted of: (1) control, (2) low electrical stimulation and (3) high electrical stimulation. Mean perfusion flow rate was unaffected by treatment or time of perfusion. Perfusion pressure and hematocrit were increased (P less than .05) by stimulation. Glucose levels decreased from a pretreatment average of 44.7 to 41.3, 26.8 and 20.0 mg/dl for treatments 1 to 3, respectively. Lactic acid levels increased from the pretreatment mean of 37.7 to 46.7, 63.8 and 69.4 mg/dl, respectively. Plasma-free fatty acids were utilized from the perfusate at .84, .76 and .68 meq X liter-1 X min-1, respectively. Perfusate urea N levels were unaffected by treatment or time of sampling, but perfusate ammonia levels increased in all treatments (ammonia levels for treatments 1 to 3 increased by .50, 1.09 and 1.47 mg/dl, respectively). Perfusate amino acid changes suggested a flux of some amino acids from muscle to perfusate due to electrical stimulation, but perfusate branched chain amino acid concentrations decreased in all treatment groups. Fifty microcuries of 14C-lysine were included in the initial perfusate. Total perfusate radioactivity in all treatments declined with time, reflective of lysine uptake by the muscle. Total perfusate lysine concentration changed less markedly, suggesting that muscle is contributing to maintenance of plasma amino acid levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of somatotropin (STH) and energy intake on serum concentrations of glucose (GLU), insulin (INS), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea nitrogen (UN) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were determined in 40 Angus heifers. At 7 mo (208 +/- 8 d) of age heifers were assigned to four treatment groups: 1) vehicle (V) + high energy (HE; 2.68 Mcal ME/kg DM), 2) recombinant DNA-derived STH (20.6 mg/d; s.c.) + HE, 3) V + low energy (LE; 2.22 Mcal ME/kg DM) or 4) STH + LE. Animals remained on treatments until an average of 15.5 mo of age. Blood samples were taken every 30 min for 4 h at 9, 11, 13 and 15 mo of age to determine circulating concentrations of metabolites and hormones. Serum IGF-I was increased (P less than .01) by STH injections, but this effect appeared to diminish with age (STH x age; P less than .01). Energy intake did not influence IGF-I levels. Somatotropin increased (P less than .01) serum GLU in heifers fed the HE diet but only tended (P = .08) to increase GLU in those fed the LE diet (STH x energy; P = .05). Although STH increased (P less than .01) serum INS in both energy groups, the response in heifers fed the HE diet was greater (P less than .02) than that in heifers fed the LE diet (STH x energy; P less than .05). Heifers fed LE had higher (P less than .01) concentrations of NEFA than heifers fed HE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Seventeen Charolais-Hereford crossbred steers averaging 220.0 kg in weight initially were randomly allotted to three treatments and fed diets containing (A) 9%, (B) 11%, or (C) 13% protein ad libitum in individual pens for 238 days. Liver samples were taken by aspiration biopsy on days 47 (sampling I) and 238 (sampling II) for arginase assay. Blood samples were taken by jugular puncture at these same times for plasma urea-nitrogen analysis. Mean hepatic arginase activities (mumole urea/mg protein/hr) of steers fed the three diets at sampling I were: (A) 224.8, (B) 327.8 and (C) 333.3. The activities of B and C were significantly (P less than .05) higher than A. Plasma urea-N levels at this same time averaged: (A) 4.44, (B) 8.55 and (C) 12.22 mg/100 ml, and were significantly different (P less than .01) from each other. Arginase activities at sampling II were: (A) 240.6, (B) 305.2 and (C) 353.0. A differed significantly (P less than .05) from C. Plasma urea-N at this time averaged: (A) 8.69, (B) 10.72 and (C) 15.00 mg/100 ml, and C was significantly (P less than 5.0) higher than A and B. These data suggest that in the bovine hepatic arginase activity levels increase with increases in dietary protein and that similar patterns in activity are maintained after feeding for an extended period of time. The increased arginase activity was accompanied by increased plasma urea-nitrogen.

Twenty-four ewes were divided into two age groups (one-year-old and nine-year-old) and used to determine the influence of cholecalciferol (CC) and 25-OH-CC on serum concentrations of Ca, P, and Mg with time post-injection. The ewes were maintained in slatted-floor pens and fed 800 g per head daily of a diet which analyzed 0.38% calcium, 0.31% phosphorus, and 0.14% magnesium. This diet was fed throughout the 21-day trial. The ewes were injected on days 0 and 7 as follows: (control) 5 ml ethanol; (CC) 50 mg CC in 5 ml ethanol; and (25-OH-CC) 25 mg 25-OH-CC in ethanol. Blood samples were pre-injection (day 0) and on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 17 and 21 of the trial. Serum Ca averaged 10.81, 11.06 and 11.25 mg/100 ml for the one-year-old ewes and 10.51, 11.06 and 11.54 mg/100 ml for the nine-year-olds across sampling times in groups A to C, respectively. Serum P across sampling times averaged 6.58, 7.80 and 9.51 mg/100 ml in one-year-old ewes and were different (P less than .05) from each other. Serum P averaged 7.06, 8.56 and 8.59 mg/100 ml for the nine-year-old ewes. Serum Mg values were 2.51, 2.32 and 2.19 mg/100 ml for the one-year-old and 2.38, 2.14 and 2.00 mg/100 ml for the nine-year-old ewes across all sampling times for control, CC and 25-OH-CC groups, respectively. Serum Mg in one-year-old ewes was lower (P less than .05) in both CC and 25-OH-CC injected ewes than controls, and was lowest (P less than .05) for 25-OH-CC when compared with the control in nine-year-old ewes. External symptoms of hypervitaminosis (reduced feed intake and leg abnormalities) were apparent after the second injection with 25-OH-CC, and were most pronounced in the aged ewes.

Nine wether lambs fitted with abomasal cannulae were used in a 15 d experiment to study the effect of site and level of K administration on utilization of N and Mg. Treatments consisted of a control (CO) and 21.9 g K/d as feed grade KCl, either included in the diet (DK) or infused into the abomasum (AK). Nitrogen digestion and balance were not affected (P greater than .10) by treatment. Magnesium absorption tended (P greater than .10) to be reduced by high K but was not affected (P greater than .10) by site of K administration. Urinary Mg and Mg balance were not affected (P greater than .10) by treatment. Although plasma Mg concentrations were lower (P less than .10) in DK than AK, K level did not affect (P greater than .10) plasma Mg. Neither level nor site of K administration affected (P greater than .10) plasma insulin or glucose. These data suggest that the effects of high K intake on Mg utilization may involve both ruminal and intestinal influences.

Twenty-four Hampshire X Suffolk wether lambs (40 kg) were used in 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to study the influence of water restriction and high levels of dietary Na on nutrient utilization. Lambs were offered either a normal Na diet (.20% Na) or a high Na diet (1.77% Na). Additionally, the lambs were offered either a normal quantity of water (previously determined voluntary intake of lambs fed normal Na levels) or were restricted to a water intake 80% of normal. Each lamb received 800 g/d of a hay-corn diet (77.5% fescue hay) with an additional 38 g of NaCl offered to lambs on high Na treatments. The complete experiment consisted of 14 d of adjustment and 7 d of total collection with blood and ruminal characteristics measured on the last day of the collection period. A high Na intake decreased (P less than .05) the apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, but tended to increase the apparent absorption of Mg. Plasma urea N concentrations were not affected (P greater than .05) by level of Na or water intake. Plasma Na and K concentrations were not affected (P greater than .05) by treatment regimen. A high Na intake increased (P less than .05) plasma Mg concentrations at 6 h post-feeding with a normal level of water intake, but decreased (P less than .05) Mg concentrations at 6 h with restricted water intake. Ruminal ammonia N and K concentrations at 2 h post-feeding were decreased (P less than .05) by a high level of dietary Na. Ruminal Na concentration was not affected (P greater than .05) by treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Seeds of the tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb .) cultivars Kentucky 31 and an experimental ryegrass X tall fescue hybrid derivative strain (G1-307), and orchard grass (OG) seed were fed in a carrier diet to calves in controlled environmental rooms (31 to 32 C). Both tall fescue varieties produced symptoms of summer toxicosis in dairy steers. Total feed intake (P less than .01) and water intake (P less than .01) of calves were reduced by the tall fescue seed diets when compared with orchard grass. Steers fed G1-307 and Kentucky 31 tall fescue lost (NS) 17.5 and 7.8 kg of body weight, respectively, while those consuming orchard grass gained (P less than .01) 6.2 kg during the experiment. Rectal temperatures were lower (P less than .05) in the calves fed OG (39.4 C) when compared with those fed G1-307 (40.6 C) and Kentucky 31 (40.8 C) tall fescue seed, respectively. In a second trial Kentucky 31 seed was fed in a carrier diet to Holstein steers at graded levels of 0, 350, 700 and 1,050 g seed/d. Consumption of 700 and 1,050 g seed/d adversely affected performance of steers. Total feed intake was lower and water intake was reduced (P less than .05), with rectal temperatures being elevated (P less than .01) in these two groups when compared with 0- or 350-g treatments. No significant differences were detected in body weight changes in this trial. Respiration rates were not significantly affected in either trial. Results of these trials with the young bovine indicate that a toxic substance(s) is present in tall fescue seed.

Twenty crossbred wether lambs (average body weight 38.9 kg) were examined for selected metabolic responses during fasting as affected by dietary protein level prior to fasting. Animals were fed diet analyzed at 10.4 and 20.3% crude protein (diets A and B, respectively) for 3 weeks and then fasted for 7 days. jugular blood samples were collected 4, 28, 52, 76, 100, 124 and 148 hr after the last feeding. Plasma glucose declined (P less than .05) between 4 and 52 hr, after which no further differences in plasma glucose occurred within or between treatment groups. Plasma urea N (PUN) was higher (P less than .05) in lambs fed diet B at 4, 28, and 52 hr postfeeding. In wethers fed diet A, PUN increased (P less than .05) from 28 to 76 hr postfeeding and then declined to prefasting levels. In wethers fed diet B, PUN did not begin to decrease until 76 hr postfeeding and then gradually declined (P less than .05) until the end of the fast. Plasma ammonia N increased (P less than .05) and plasma albumin decreased (P less than .05) during fasting in both treatment groups, but no differences were observed between the two groups in either parameter. The data support the existence of a "glucose-alanine" cycle in that alanine decreased (P less than .05) in both groups whereas glucose remained constant and PUN increased. Together, these factors suggest enhanced gluconeogenesis from amino acids. Increased branch-chain amino acid oxidation may be responsible for the decrease (P less than .05) in total branched-chain amino acids observed during fasting. The higher dietary protein intake of lambs fed diet B apparently afforded some nutritional advantage, since most of the changes observed occurred approximately 24 hr later in these lambs than in those fed the lower protein diet A before fasting.

Eighteen Hereford cows averaging 429.6 +/- 14.5 kg in weight, ranging from 3.33 to 12.12 years of age and consuming 18.2 kg corn silage/animal/day were used to observe the effect of age on activities of the liver enzymes of urea synthesis. Liver samples were taken by aspiration biopsy and homogenized in water for enzyme assay. Plasma urea-nitrogen of all cows averaged 4.20 mg per 100 ml. The enzymes measured were: carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), argininosuccinate synthetase (AS), argininosuccinase (AL) and arginase (A). Mean enzyme activities of the cows were: CPS 1.57, OTC 44.4, AS 0.61, AL 1.05 and A 203.9 mum product/mg protein/hr. Regression coefficients (b) of enzyme activity (units) on age (years) were 0.021 +/- .018, 0.713 +/- .379, 0.016 +/- .016, 0.032 +/- .014 and 6.73 +/- 5.09 units for the five enzymes, respectively. Age (3.3 to 12.1 years) did not significantly (P less than .05) affect activities of the urea cycle enzymes (per mg protein, per g liver or per W-75 kg/hr) or plasma urea-nitrogen levels in the adult Hereford female at the level of dietary protein fed in this study.

Eight growing Angus steer calves averaging 213 kg were fitted with abomasal infusion cannulae to compare feeding 455 g of soybean meal (SBM) daily with infusing 120 g SBM abomasally (26% of intake) on nitrogen (N) retention and plasma urea and amino acid levels. A reversal design was used in which each steer received a SBM-supplemented diet plus water abomasally and an unsupplemented diet (basal) plus 120 g of SBM infused abomasally. Feeding a normal intake of SBM or infusing 26% of SBM intake post-ruminally (abomasally) resulted in similar daily N retention (18.4 g N for fed steers and 18.8 g N for infused steers). Total urinary output (liter/day), as well as urinary N losses (g/day), was 6.8 vs. 5.2 and 44.1 vs. 24.0 for the fed and infused groups of steers, respectively (P less than .05). Nitrogen retained expressed as a percent of N intake was 7.2% higher for SBM infusion. Daily fecal dry matter excretion was .25 kg greater for steers infused with SBM. Plasma urea levels were higher (P less than .05) for SBM-fed steers at each 2-hr sampling interval for 8 hr after feeding. Plasma free amino acid levels were similar for both groups of steers.

To minimize the incidence of grass tetany, winter pastures should be established on soils containing Mg-rich minerals, drainage should be improved on five-textured soils, legumes should be included in the sward and soil pH should be at least 5.5. Liming acid soils with dolomitic lime increases forage Mg by supplying Mg and by raising soil pH. Calcitic lime applications also can increase Mg availability to plants on soils with adequate Mg. Low rates of application of soluble Mg salts (less than 100 kg/ha of Mg) effectively increase Mg uptake from noncalcareous soils with low cation exchange capacity. Potassium levels in soils and plants should be kept in the lower range of recommended values. Nitrogen application should be regulated to provide the desired level of forage production. Nitrogen fertilizers, especially the nitrate form, stimulate plant Mg uptake if Mg is available in the soil. The most practical and cost-efficient method of supplementing dietary Mg intake is to provide free-choice Mg. Supplements must be palatable and placed in locations frequently used by cow herds. Including a high-energy feed in the supplement may at times increase its preventive effectiveness by increasing Mg absorption and reducing lipolysis. Regardless of the supplement formulation, Mg intake should be monitored on a regular basis, and formulation or management changes should be initiated if Mg consumption is below required levels. In severe grass tetany outbreaks, foliar application of Mg or administration of Mg via the drinking water may be warranted.

Twenty-four Hampshire X Suffolk wether lambs (40 kg) were used in a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to study the influence of water restriction and high levels of dietary K on nutrient utilization. Lambs were offered either a normal K diet (1.86% K) or a high K diet (3.66% K). Additionally, the lambs were offered either a normal quantity of water (previously determined voluntary intake of lambs fed normal K levels) or were restricted to a water intake 80% of normal. Each lamb received 800 g/d of a fescue hay-corn diet (77.5% fescue hay) with an additional 20 g of KCl offered to lambs on high K treatments. The experiment consisted of 14 d of adjustment and 7 d of total collection with blood and ruminal parameters measured on the last day of collection. Both acid detergent fiber digestibility and N balance were reduced (P less than .05) by high K intake. Urinary Mg excretion tended (P greater than .05) to be decreased by water restriction. Plasma Mg concentrations at 2 h post-feeding (PF) tended (P greater than .05) to be reduced by a high K intake at a normal level of water consumption but increased at high K intake when water intake was restricted. A similar pattern was observed for plasma K concentrations. Although high K intake resulted in elevated (P less than .05) ruminal K concentrations both at 2 and 6 h PF, ruminal concentrations of ammonia-N and volatile fatty acids were not affected (P greater than .05) by treatment. These data suggest that nutrient utilization in both the digestive tract and tissues is altered by level of K and modest water restriction.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of exogenously administered FFA on GH and LH secretion in sheep. Ovariectomized ewes received iv infusions of a mixture of FFA (166 mg/min; n = 5) or 0.9% saline (n = 4) for 10 h. Jugular blood was sampled every 15 min for 14 h, beginning 4 h before initiation of infusion. After 8 h of FFA or saline treatment, each ewe received a pituitary challenge of 10 micrograms GRF and 1 microgram GnRH, administered together as an iv bolus. Lipid infusion increased (P less than 0.01) serum FFA concentrations to levels characteristic of those in fasted sheep [23.0 +/- 0.8 mg/100 ml (mean +/- SE)]. Frequency of GH pulses (P less than 0.01) and the GH response to GRF (P less than 0.0001) were suppressed by FFA treatment. Mean serum GH concentrations increased gradually (P less than 0.01) during the 10-h infusion period in saline-treated but not lipid-treated, ewes. This finding may reflect diurnal changes in somatotrope secretory activity that are blocked by FFA. Mean serum LH concentrations, LH pulse frequency and amplitude, and the LH secretory response to GnRH were unaffected by FFA or saline infusion. In agreement with previous work in sheep and other species, these results provide evidence for an inhibitory effect of FFA on GH release. The exact mechanism responsible for this action, however, remains to be elucidated. Finally, acutely elevated FFA levels do not appear to influence LH secretion in the ovariectomized ewe.

One-hundred-twenty calves were utilized in a 2 X 3 factorial design experiment of 140 days to determine the effects of dietary urea (U) or soybean meal (SBM) with added sulfur (S) plus corn silage on growth and plasma constituents. Total dietary crude protein (CP) of SBM-supplemented diets averaged 9.06%, and U-supplemented diets averaged 9.16% CP. Within each nitrogen source, S was added to supplements to provide 0.0, 0.15, or 0.30% added S based upon predicted intake. Calves fed SBM-supplemented diets had higher (P less than 0.05) gains and lower (P less than .05) plasma urea nitrogen levels compared to calves fed U-supplemented diets. The addition of S to SBM-supplemented diets did not significantly affect growth, efficiency or plasma nitrogen constituents. Calves fed the U-supplemented diets with added S had higher (P less than .10) gains and a trend toward improved efficiency compared with those supplemented with no added S. On day 28 plasma aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, methionine, total nonessential and total amino acid concentrations were increased (P less than .01 to P less than .10) by the addition of S to U-supplemented diets compared to the basal U diet. Isoleucine was higher (P less than .05) in calves fed SBM-supplemented diets compared to those fed U-supplemented diets. On day 140 higher (P less than .05) plasma threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine and total essential amino acids were observed in calves fed SBM compared to U-supplemented diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Eight growing crossbred beef heifers, surgically fitted with indwelling abomasal cannulas, were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design and examined for the effects of continuous abomasal infusion of arginine and(or) ammonium acetate on liver arginase activity and urea and ammonia metabolism. Heifers were fed complete diets containing 1.2% urea as the only source of supplemental N. Infusion treatments were: (1) control (C): 2 liters water/24 h; (2) arginine (Arg): 24.00 g arginine in 2 liters water/24 h; (3) ammonium acetate (NH4Ac): 116.34 g ammonium acetate in 2 liters water/24 h; (4) arginine plus ammonium acetate (Arg + NH4Ac): 24.00 g arginine . HCl plus 116.34 g ammonium acetate in 2 liters water/24 h. Infusions solutions contained 0, 1, 1 and 2% crude protein equivalent, respectively, above the level of crude protein provided by the diet. NH4Ac and Arg + NH4Ac increased (P less than .05) apparent digestibility of N over that observed with treatment C. Arg tended to increase N retention over that observed with C, while both NH4Ac and Arg + NH4Ac resulted in lower (P less than .05) N retention than did C and Arg. Mean liver arginase activities (mumol . mg protein-1 . h-1) were 166.9, 137.5, 226.3 and 194.5 for heifers infused with C, Arg, NH4Ac and Arg + NH4Ac, respectively. NH4Ac and Arg + NH4Ac resulted in higher (P less than .05) arginase activity than did C or Arg. Arg infusion increased plasma urea N (PUN) over that observed with C, while PUN was higher (P less than .05) with NH4Ac or Arg + NH4Ac than with C or Arg. NH4Ac infusion increased (P less than .05) plasma ammonia-N (PAN) over that observed with Arg or Arg + NH4Ac, while PAN levels were the same with C, Arg and Arg + NH4Ac. Both Arg and NH4Ac infusion resulted in higher (P less than .05) rumen ammonia levels than C, while heifers given Arg + NH4Ac had rumen ammonia levels similar to those of controls. Mean daily urea excretion was 13.16, 16.02, 28.92 and 32.44 g/24 h for heifers infused with C, Arg, NH4Ac and Arg + NH4Ac, respectively. The major difference in excretion of urea was attributable to NH4Ac and not Arg. Daily urea excretion decreased between 1530 and 2330 h and increased between 2330 and 0730 h. Arginine infusion appeared to have a protective effect against ammonia infusion because PUN increased and PAN decreased in heifers infused with arginine. The reduction (P less than .05) in plasma amino acids thought to be limiting for protein synthesis in ruminants in conjunction with increased (P less than .05) N retention and the trend toward decreased arginase activity observed in heifers infused with Arg suggests that the effects of arginine on ammonia metabolism are not wholly mediated by liver urea synthesis.

A 2 X 2 X 2 fractorial design of treatments was used to study effects of age (20 months or 10 years), dietary energy density (3.0 or 3.5 kcal DE/g) and protein level (8 or 16% crude protein) on energy and nitrogen metabolism in two groups of ewes, with emphasis on efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization. Plasma glucose concentrations were the same for sheep in each age group, regardless of diet; plasma lactate was higher (P less than .03) in plasma of old ewes and decreased (P less than .01) in concentration when dietary energy density was increased. Plasma urea nitrogen was higher (P less than .0001) in ewes fed diets containing 16 vs 8% protein, and plasma ammonia concentrations were higher (P less than .02) in old ewes Dietary energy and protein levels affected digestible and metabolizable energy, but no age-related effects were observed. Nitrogen retention was increased when either energy (P less than .0001) or protein (P less than .003) intake increased. Oxygen consumption was the same for sheep of either age (expressed per kilogram metabolic body weight), while estimated maintenance requirement and heat production were higher for old ewes. Metabolizable energy utilization was lower (P less than .05) in old ewes fed the lower energy density diets than in those fed the higher energy diets. Increasing dietary energy density increased (P less than .05) efficiency of metabolizable energy utilization in old ewes to a level comparable to that observed in young ewes.

An in situ ovine liver perfusion technique was developed and used to study glucagon effects on utilization of simultaneously infused propionic acid and amino acids. Physiological amounts of propionic acid and amino acids (hydrolyzed casein) were infused into livers along with carbon-14 propionic acid or carbon-14 threonine with and without glucagon. Glucagon (5 mg) caused a 75% increase of glucose synthesis and a 19% increase of labeled carbon dioxide production from carbon-14 propionic acid. There also was a decrease of perfusate urea nitrogen when glucagon was present. Glucagon caused a 76% decrease of carbon-14 threonine utilization by ovine livers, and labeled carbon dioxide production from carbon-14 threonine was only 38% of control when glucagon was infused. From these results, glucagon caused an increase of use of propionic acid and a decrease of use of threonine for energetic pathways in sheep liver. Therefore, glucagon directly or indirectly may mediate amino acid sparing by ruminant liver.