Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:51:22.505Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Endocrine changes and their relationship with body weight in growing yaks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

Tian Yongqiang
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070
Zhao Xingxu*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070
Wang Minqiang
Affiliation:
Lanzhou Institute of Animal Science, CAAS, Lanzhoou, Gansu 730050, China
Lu Zhonglin
Affiliation:
Lanzhou Institute of Animal Science, CAAS, Lanzhoou, Gansu 730050, China
Zhang Rongchang
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed: E-mail:[email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin (Ins), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in blood samples of growing yaks during different bimonthly seasons were determined by radioimmunoassay. The changes of body weight of growing yaks and composition of grass grazed were measured accordingly. The seasonal changes of hormones were significant (P < 0·01 or P < 0·05). Within season, the variances of hormones depended upon the different growing stages. The body-weight gains in the different groups varied in different seasons, increase being significant in May, July and September, decrease being significant from January to May. Correlation analysis indicated that T4 concentration had a significant positive correlation with the body weight of the growing yaks(r = 0·2509, P < 0·05) and other hormones did not have any significant correlation with body weight. The results showed that the annual cycle of weight loss and gain was attributed to the seasonal change of nutrition status. The seasonal change of the assayed hormones depended on the grass growth.

Type
Growth, development and meat science
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blum, J. W., Gingins, M., Vitins, P. and Bickel, H. 1980. Thyroid hormone levels related to energy and nitrogen balance during weight loss and regain in adult sheep. Acta Endocrinologica 93: 440447.Google Scholar
Blum, J. W., Schnyder, W., Kunz, P. C., Blom, A. K., Bickel, H. and Schurch, A. 1985. Reduced and compensatory growth: endocrine and metabolic changes during feed restriction and refeeding in steers. Journal Nutrition 115: 417424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Breier, B. H., Bass, J. J., Butter, J. H. and Gluckman, P. D. 1986. The somatotrophic axis in young steers: influence of nutritional status on pulsate release of GH and circulating concentration of IGH-I. Journal of Endocrinology 111: 209215.Google Scholar
Breier, B. H., Gluckman, P. D. and Bass, J. J. 1988. Influence of nutritional status and oestradiol-17b on plasma growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors-I and –II responses to exogenous growth hormone in young steers. Journal of Endocrinology 118: 243248.Google Scholar
Breier, B. H., Gluckman, P. D., McCutecheon, S. N. and Davis, S. R. 1991. Physiological responses to somatotropin in the ruminant. Journal of Dairy Science 74: (suppl. 2) 2034.Google Scholar
Ellenberger, M. A., Johnson, D. E., Carstens, G. E., Hossner, K. L., Holland, M. D., Nett, T. M. and Nokels, C. F. 1989. Endocrine and metabolic changes during altered growth rates in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 67: 14461454.Google Scholar
Gregory, N. G., Truscott, T. G. and Wood, J. D. 1982. Insulin secretion in relation to fatness in cattle. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 23: 276282.Google Scholar
Hayden, J. M., Willians, J. E. and Collier, R. J. 1993. Plasma GH, IGF-I, insulin and thyroid hormone association with body protein and fat accretion in steers undergoing compensatory gain after dietary energy restriction. Journal of Animal Science 71: 33273338.Google Scholar
Joakimsen, O. and Blom, A. K. 1976. Growth hormone concentration in jugular blood plasma in relation to growth rate and age in young bulls. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 26: 239242.Google Scholar
Kahl, S. 1978. Effect of synovex-S on growth rate and plasma thyroid hormone concentrations in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 46: 232237.Google Scholar
Kahl, S. and Bitman, J. 1983. Relation of plasma thyroxine and triiodothyronine to bodyweight in growth in growing male and female Holstein cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 66: 23862390.Google Scholar
Rumsey, T. S. 1981. Effect of roneel on growth, endocrine function and blood measurements in steers and rats. Journal of Animal Science 53: 217225.Google Scholar
Trenkle, A. 1976. Estimates of the kinetic parameters of growth hormone metabolism in fed and fasted cattle and sheep. Journal of Animal Science 43: 10351039.Google Scholar
Trenkle, A. 1977. Changes in growth hormone status related to body weight of growing cattle. Growth 41: 241347.Google ScholarPubMed
Verde, L. S. and Trenkle, A. 1982. Concentration of hormone in plasma from cattle with different growth potentials. Journal of Animal Science 55: (suppl. 1) 426432.Google Scholar