Excess amino acid supply improves methionine and leucine utilization by growing steers

In 2 experiments, 6 ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (205 [+ or -] 23 and 161 [+ or -] 14 kg initial BW in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively) housed in metabolism crates were used in 6 x 6 Latin squares to study the effects of excess AA supply on Met (Exp. 1) and Leu (Exp. 2) use. All steers received a diet based on soybean hulls (DMI = 2.66 and 2.45 kg/d in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively); ruminal infusions of 200 g of acetate/d, 200 g of propionate/d, and 50 g of butyrate/d, as well as abomasal infusion of 300 g of glucose/d to provide energy without increasing the microbial protein supply; and abomasal infusions of a mixture of all essential AA except Met (Exp. 1) or Leu (Exp. 2). Periods were 6 d, with 2-d adaptations and 4 d to collect N balance data. All treatments were abomasally infused. In Exp. 1, treatments were arranged as a 2 x 3 factorial, with 2 amounts of L-Met (0 or 4 g/d) and 3 AA supplements (no additional AA, control; 100 g/d of nonessential AA + 100 g/d of essential AA, NEAA + EAA; and 200 g/d of essential AA, EAA). Supplemental Met increased (P < 0.01) retained N and decreased (P < 0.01) urinary N and urinary urea N. Retained N increased (P < 0.01) with NEAA + EAA only when 4 g/d of Met was provided, but it increased (P < 0.01) with EAA with or without supplemental Met. Both AA treatments increased (P < 0.01) plasma urea and serum insulin. Plasma glucose decreased (P = 0.03) with supplemental Met. In Exp. 2, treatments were arranged as a 2 x 3 factorial with 2 amounts of L-Leu (0 or 4 g/d) and 3 AA supplements (control, NEAA + EAA, and EAA). Supplemental Leu increased (P < 0.01) retained N and decreased (P < 0.01) urinary N and urinary urea N. Both AA treatments increased (P < 0.01) retained N, and they also increased (P < 0.01) urinary N, urinary urea N, and plasma urea. Serum insulin increased (P = 0.06) with supplemental Leu and tended (P = 0.10) to increase with both AA treatments. Supplementation with excess AA improved Met and Leu use for protein deposition by growing cattle. Key words: amino acid, cattle, growth, leucine, methionine, utilization