Comparison of somatotropin and growth hormone-releasing factor on milk yield, serum hormones, and energy status

Holstein cows received 12mg/d of growth hormone-releasing factor (continuous i.v. infusion, n=5), 14mg/d of bST (single daily i.m. injection, n=8), or no treatment (controls, n=8) for 60 d. Compared with controls (31.6kg/d), bST and growth hormone-releasing factor increased milk yield to 34.2 and 37.0kg/d, respectively. The increase in milk yield induced by the growth hormone-releasing factor was greater than that for bST. Milk yield was not different among groups following cessation of treatment. Milk energy output was 24.2Mcal/d in controls, and growth hormone-releasing factor increased milk energy output to 28.5Mcal/d. Milk energy output of cows receiving bST was 26.1Mcal/d. Growth hormone-releasing factor increased DMI (23.2kg/d) over that of controls (21.1kg/d), whereas bST (21.5kg/d) did not. Relative to controls, bST increased averaged daily serum somatotropin from 1.3 to 7.6ng/ml and insulin-like growth factor-I from 67.5 to 116.0ng/ml. Relative to bST, growth hormone-releasing factor increased serum somatotropin to 16.3ng/ml and insulin-like growth factor-I to 202.6ng/ml. Relative to control (115.8meq/dl) and bST (158.1meq/dl), growth hormone-releasing factor increased plasma NEFA (230.3meq/dl). During treatment, calculated energy balance was negative for cows receiving growth hormone-releasing factor but positive for bST and control cows. Milk composition, body condition score, BW, and apparent digestibility of DM were not different among treatments. We conclude that i.v. infusion of 12mg/d mg of growth hormone-releasing factor has greater galactopoietic activity than i.m. injections of 14mg/d of bST. These data support the concept that the galactopoietic effects of growth hormone-releasing factor are mediated via increased secretion of somatotropin and insulin-like growth factor-I.