Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T21:10:58.909Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of low sodium intake on magnesium metabolism of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

H. Martens ,
O. W. Kubel ,
G. Gäbel  and
H. Honig
H. Martens
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany
O. W. Kubel
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany
G. Gäbel
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Federal Republic of Germany
H. Honig
Affiliation:
Department of Grassland Research, FAL, Braunschweig, Federal Republic of Germany
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Three sheep, equipped with cannulae in the dorsal rumen sac, abomasum and ileum, were fed a low sodium diet of artifically dried young grass. Mean daily intake of sodium was 310 mg. The sheep were given daily supplements of 0 or 2·3 g sodium by an intraruminal infusion.

The concentration of K in mixed saliva and ruminal fluid from the sheep not given sodium supplements increased and the concentration of Na decreased markedly. The changes in the ion concentrations were associated with an increase of the transmural potential difference across the ruminal epithelium.

The altered ion concentrations of Na and K in the ruminal fluid and the increased potential difference were accompanied by a decrease in Mg absorption from the forestomachs. The apparent availability of Mg from the gastrointestinal tract decreased from 34·5 (sodium supplementation) to 22·3 (low sodium intake).

It is suggested that a daily intake of Na of 310 mg did not cover the sodium requirement of these sheep and that a low sodium intake influences the absorption of Mg in a similar manner as it has been observed with a high K intake.

The results are discussed in context of grass tetany in ruminants. It is suggested that an inadequate intake of sodium is an overlooked factor of the pathogenesis of this disease.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 108 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 237 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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

Bailey, C. B. (1961). Saliva secretion and its relation to feeding in cattle. 4. The relationship between the concentration of sodium, potassium, chloride and inorganic phosphate in mixed saliva and rumen fluid. British Journal of Nutrition 15, 489–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balch, C. C. & Line, C. (1957). Weight changes in grazing cows. Journal of Dairy Research 24, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ben-Ghedalia, D., Tagari, H., Zamwel, S. & Bondi, A. (1975). Solubility and net exchange of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in digesta flowing along the gut of sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 33, 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blair-West, J. R., Coghlan, J. P., Denton, D. A., Goding, J. R., Wintour, M. & Wright, R. D. (1963). Control of aldosterone secretion. In Recent Progress in Hormone Research (ed. Pincus, G.), pp. 311–323. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Butler, E. J. (1963). The mineral element content of spring pasture in relation to the occurrence of grass tetany and hypomagnesaemia in dairy cows. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 60, 329–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Care, A. D., Brown, R. C, Farrow, A. R. & Pickard, D. W. (1984). Magnesium absorption from the digestive tract of sheep. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 69, 577–587.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Denton, D. A. (1956). The effect of Na+-depletion on the Na+: K+ ratio of the parotid saliva of the sheep. Journal of Physiology 131, 516–525.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobson, A. (1963). Changes in composition of the saliva of cows on grazing heavily fertilized grass. Research in Veterinary Science 4, 238–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobson, A. & McDonald, J. (1963). Changes in composition of saliva of sheep on feeding heavily fertilized grass. Research in Veterinary Science 4, 247–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobson, A. & Phillipson, A. T. (1958). The absorption of chloride ions from the reticulorumen sac. Journal of Physiology 140, 94–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dobson, A., Scott, D. & Bruce, J. B. (1966). Changes in sodium requirement of the sheep associated with changes of diet. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 51, 311–323.Google ScholarPubMed
Faichney, G. J. (1975). The use of markers to partition digestion within the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. In Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. McDonald, I. W. and Warner, A. C. I.), pp. 277–291. Armidale, N.S. W., Australia: University of New England Publishing Unit.Google Scholar
Greene, L. W., Fontenot, J. P. & Webb, K. E. Jr, (1983). Site of magnesium and other macromineral absorption in steers fed high levels of potassium. Journal of Animal Science 57, 503–510.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hydén, S. (1956). A turbimetric method for determination of higher polyethylene glycols in biological materials. Lantbrukshogskolan Annaler 22, 139–145.Google Scholar
Kemp, A. & Geurink, J. H. (1966). Further information on the sodium requirement and sodium supply of lactating cows. Tydschrift Voor Diergeneskunde 91, 580–613.Google Scholar
Kemp, A. & Geurink, J. H. (1978). Grassland farming and minerals in cattle. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 26, 161–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kubel, D. W. (1982). Der Einfluß eines Natriummangels auf die Passage und Resorption von Magnesium, Natrium und Kalium im gesamten Verdauungstrakt. Thesis, Hannover.Google Scholar
McLean, A. F., Buchan, W. & Scott, D. (1984). Magnesium absorption in mature ewes infused intraruminally with magnesium chloride. British Journal of Nutrition 52, 523–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martens, H. & Blume, J. (1986). Effect of intraruminal sodium and potassium concentrations and of the transmural potential difference on magnesium absorption from the temporarily isolated rumen of sheep. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 71, 409–415.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Metson, A. J., Saunders, W. M. A., Collie, T. W. & Graham, V. W. (1966). Chemical composition of pasture in relation to grass tetany in beef breeding cows. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 9, 410–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, J. G. (1980). Assessment of sodium requirement of grazing beef cattle: a review. Journal of Animal Science 50, 145–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, J. G. & Gartner, R. J. W. (1975). The effect of potassium on the sodium requirements of growing steers with and without a-tocopherol supplementation. British Journal of Nutrition 34, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paterson, R. & Crichton, Ch. (1960). Grass staggers in large scale dairying on grass. Journal of the British Grassland Society 15, 100–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rook, J. A. & Wood, M. (1960). Mineral composition of hypomagnesaemia in grazing cattle. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 11, 137–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, D. (1966). The effects of sodium depletion and potassium supplements upon electrical potentials in the rumen of sheep. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 51, 60–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, D. (1967). The effect of potassium supplements upon the absorption of potassium and sodium from the sheep rumen. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology 52, 382–391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sellers, A. F. & Dobson, A. (1960). Studies on reticulorumen sodium and potassium concentrations and electrical potentials in sheep. Research in Veterinary Science 1, 95–102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thaysen, J. H. & Tarding, F. (1974). Ductual reabsorption of Na in 1:1 exchange for K in sheep parotid gland. In Secretory Mechanism of Exocrine Glands (ed. Thorn, N. A. and Petersen, O. H.), pp. 464–472. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.Google Scholar
Thompson, R. H. & Blanchflower, W. J. (1971). Wetashing apparatus to prepare biological materials for atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Laboratory Practice 20, 859–861.Google ScholarPubMed
Tomas, F. M. & Potter, B. J. (1976). The effect and site of action of potassium upon magnesium absorption in sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27, 873–880.CrossRefGoogle Scholar