Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T11:19:13.978Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Flushing of mink (Mustela vison): effects on energy metabolism and some blood metabolites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Fink  and
A.-H. Tauson
R. Fink
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 13, DK–1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
A.-H. Tauson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Animal Health, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 13, DK–1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
Get access

Abstract

Energy metabolism during flushing of mink (Mustela vison) in relation to a control group was studied by means of combining pooled data from balance and respiration experiments carried out in 1993 (experiment I) and 1994 (experiment II) and some blood metabolites from experiment II. The experiments, which were divided into six 1-week balance periods, started on 7 February and continued until 22 March. Flushing was performed by restricted feeding in periods 2 and 3 and refeeding in periods 4 and 5. Each balance period included a 24-h measurement of heat production by means of indirect calorimetry in open-air circuit respiration chambers. In experiment II blood samples were taken at weekly intervals and analysed for total triiodothyronine, total thyroxine, free thyroxine, glucose, insulin and fructosamine. Generally, intake of digestible nutrients and energy metabolism measurements within the flushed group were strongly influenced by period (energy supply), whereas they remained stable in the control group and differences between treatment groups over the total experiment were non-significant. The fluctuation in energy status induced by flushing did not involve major changes in body weight. Blood metabolites reflected the food intake by being fairly stable in the control group and decreasing during restriction and increasing during refeeding in the flushed group (P < 0·05). As an effect of flushing the number of corpora lutea increased significantly (P < 0·05).

Keywords

blood chemistrycorpus luteumenergy balanceflushingmink
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , February 1998 , pp. 277 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

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

Baker, J. R., Metcalf, P. A., Johnson, R. N., Newman, D. and Rietz, P. 1985. Use of protein-based standards in automated colorimetric determination of fructosamine in serum Clinical Chemistry 31: 1550–1554.Google Scholar
Beltranena, E., Foxcroft, G. R., Aherne, F. X. and Kirkwood, R. N. 1991. Endocrinology of nutritional flushing in gilts Canadian Journal of Animal Science 71: 1063–1071.Google Scholar
Blixenkrone-Meller, M., Lund, E., Mikkelsen, G. and Uttenthal, A. 1987. Blood collection in mink. Scandinavian Journal of Laboratory Animal Science 14: 99.Google Scholar
Blum, J. G., Gingins, M., Vitins, P. and Bickel, H. 1980. Thyroid hormone levels related to energy and nitrogen balance during weight loss and regain in sheep Ada Endocrinologica 93: 440–447.Google Scholar
Bondar, R. J. L. and Mead, D. C. 1974. Evaluation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides in the hexokinase method for determining glucose in serum Clinical Chemistry 20: 586–590.Google Scholar
Britt, J. H., Armstrong, J. D. and Cox, N. M. 1988. Metabolic interfaces between nutrition and reproduction in pigs. Eleventh international congress on animal reproduction and artificial insemination, Dublin, pp. 118–125.Google Scholar
Brouwer, E. 1965. Report of sub-committee on constants and factors Proceedings of the third symposium on energy metabolism, European Association of Animal Production publication no. 11, pp. 441–443.Google Scholar
Casida, L. E. 1963. The level of fertility in the female as influenced by feed level and energy intake. Proceedings of the sixth international congress on nutrition, Edinburgh, pp. 366–375.Google Scholar
Chwalibog, A., Glem-Hansen, N., Henckel, S. and Thorbek, G. 1980. Energy metabolism in adult mink in relation to protein energy levels and environmental temperature. Proceedings of the eighth symposium on energy metabolism, European Association of Animal Production publication no. 26, pp. 283–286.Google Scholar
Chwalibog, A., Jakobsen, K., Henckel, S. and Thorbek, G. 1992. Estimation of quantitative oxidation and fat retention from carbohydrate, protein and fat in growing pigs Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 68: 123–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, N. M., Stuart, M. J., Althen, T. G., Bennett, W. A. and Miller, H. W. 1987. Enhancement of ovulation rate in gilts by increasing dietary energy and administering insulin during follicular growth Journal of Animal Science 64: 502–507.Google Scholar
Dauncey, M. J., Ramsden, D. N., Kapadi, A. L., Marcarl, M. and Ingram, D. L. 1983. Increase in plasma concentration of 3, 5, 3' triiodothyronine after a meal and its dependence on energy intake Hormone and Metabolic Research 15: 499–502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, S. E. and Ingram, D. L. 1977. The effect of ambient temperature upon the secretion of thyroxine in the young pig Journal ofPhysiology 264: 511–521.Google Scholar
Flowers, B., Martin, M. J., Cantley, T. C. and Day, B. N. 1989. Endocrine changes associated with a dietary-induced increase in ovulation rate (flushing) in gilts Journal of Animal Science 67: 771–778.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ganong, W. F. 1991. Review of medical physiology. Fifteenth edition. Prentice-Hall International Inc., USA.Google Scholar
Hansen, N. E., Finne, L., Skrede, A. and Tauson, A.-H. 1991. Energiforsyningen hos mink og ræv. NJFs utredning/rapport no 63, DSR Forlag, Landbøheijskolen, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Hansson, A. 1947. The physiology of reproduction in mink (Mustela vison, schreb.) with special reference to delayed implantation. Acta Zoologica 28: 1–136.Google Scholar
Haresign, W. 1981. The influence of nutrition on reproduction in the ewe. Effects on ovulation rate, follicle development and luteinizing hormone release. Animal Production 32: 197–202.Google Scholar
Hileman, S. M., Schillo, K. K. and Hall, J. B. 1993. Effects of acute, intracerebroventricular administration of insulin on serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone, insulin, and glucose in ovariectomized lambs during restricted and ad libitum feed intake Biology of Reproduction 48: 117–124.Google Scholar
Jergensen, G. and Glem-Hansen, N, 1973. A cage designed for metabolism- and nitrogen balance trials with mink Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 23: 3–5.Google Scholar
Kemp, B., Martens, R. P. C. H., Soede, N. M. and Noordhuizen, J. P. T. M. 1993. The effect of slimming on embryo survival rate and the number of corpora lutea at 25 days of pregnancy of mink (Mustela vison) Reproduction in Domestic Animals 28: 73–76.Google Scholar
Milne, J. A., Loudon, A. S., Sibbald, A. M., Curlewis, D. J. and McNeiley, A. S. 1990. Effects of melatonin and a dopamine agonist and antagonist on seasonal changes in voluntary intake, reproductive activity and plasma concentrations of prolactin and triiodothyronine in red deer hinds Journal of Endocrinology 125: 241–249.Google Scholar
Riis, P. M. and Glattas, C. S. 1989. Thyroid hormones and insulin in adaptation of animal performance to variations in feed supply and ambient temperatures Tanzanian Veterinary Bulletin 9: 57–63.Google Scholar
Schneider, J. E. and Wade, G. N. 1989. Availability of metabolic fuels controls oestrous cyclicity of Syrian hamsters. Science 244: 4910.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1985. SAS user's guide: statistics, version 5th edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1985. Effects of flushing on reproductive performance, ovulation rate, implantation rate and plasma progesterone levels in mink Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 35: 295–309.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1988. Flushing of mink. Effects of level of preceding feed restriction and length of flushing period on reproductive performance. Animal Reproduction Science 17: 243–250.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1991. Effect of flushing on plasma progesterone and plasma oestradiol throughout gestation in mink. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 66: 100–110.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1993. Effect of body condition and dietary energy supply on reproductive processes in the female mink (Mustela vison) Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, Supplement 47: 37–45.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. 1997. Prolactin profiles of pregnant, lactating and non-mated female mink (Mustela vison) Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, Supplement 51: 195–201.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H., Fink, R. and Chwalibog, A. 1996. Can gas exchange measurements be used for calculation of nutrient oxidation in mink exposed to short term changes in energy supply? First international workshop on energy and utilization, Rostock, Germany, Sept. 5–7, 1996.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. and Forsberg, M. 1992. Effect of flushing on LH release in mink Norwegian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Supplement 9: 235–241.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H. and Gustafsson, H. 1994. Effect of flushing on embryos in early developmental stages in mink (Mustela vison) Ada Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 44: 43–49.Google Scholar
Tauson, A.-H., Gustafsson, H. and Jones, I. 1988. Flushing of mink. Effect on plasma progesterone, plasma estradiol, implantation rate and reproductive performance. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 38: 421–432.Google Scholar