Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T02:42:01.613Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Progeny of high muscling sires have reduced muscle response to adrenaline in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

K. M. Martin
Affiliation:
Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia School of Environment and Rural Sciences, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia
P. McGilchrist
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
J. M. Thompson
Affiliation:
Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia School of Environment and Rural Sciences, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia
G. E. Gardner*
Affiliation:
Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre, University of New England, NSW 2351, Australia School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
*
Get access

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of variation in Australian sheep breeding values (ASBVs) for yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) within Merino and Poll Dorset sires on intermediary metabolism of progeny. Specifically, the change in the blood concentrations of lactate, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose in response to administration of an exogenous dose of adrenaline was studied. The experiment used 20 Merino and Merino cross Poll Dorset mixed sex sheep. The sires were selected across a range of YEMD ASBVs. The sheep were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters and administered seven levels of adrenaline over a period of 4 days at 4 months of age (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.6 μg/kg liveweight (LW)) and 16 months of age (0.1, 0.2, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3.0 μg/kg LW). A total of 16 blood samples were collected between −30 min and 130 min relative to administration of the adrenaline challenge and were later measured for the plasma concentrations of lactate, NEFA and glucose. These data were then used to calculate the time to maximum substrate concentration, the maximum concentration and the area under curve (AUC) between 0 and 10 min, thus reflecting the substrate's response to exogenous adrenaline. Selection for muscling led to decreased muscle response due to adrenaline, as indicated by lower maximum concentrations and AUC for lactate. The muscles’ response to adrenaline was more prominent at 16 months of age than at 4 months of age. Thus, animals selected for increased muscling have lower levels of glycogenolysis in situations where endogenous adrenaline levels are increased like pre-slaughter. This may minimise the risk of poor meat quality in these animals, as they will express higher muscle concentrations of glycogen at slaughter. Adipose tissue was more sensitive to adrenaline in young lambs from high YEMD sires. This shows that high muscled growing lambs utilise their adipose tissue deposits in times of stress to produce energy. This may explain the phenotypic leanness of these animals. Blood glucose levels that are indicative of liver response to adrenaline decreased with selection for muscling. This response may indicate a potential limiting of glucose that is available within animals selected for muscling, leanness and growth for brain function.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

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

Adams, N, Briegel, J, Ward, K 2002. The impact of a transgene for ovine growth hormone on the performance of two breeds of sheep. Journal of Animal Science 80, 23252333.Google ScholarPubMed
Alston, CL, Mengersen, KL, Robert, CP, Thompson, JM, Littlefield, PJ, Perry, D, Ball, AJ 2007. Bayesian mixture models in a longitudinal setting for analysing sheep CAT scan images. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis 51, 42824296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashmore, CR, Tompkins, G, Doerr, L 1972. Postnatal development of muscle fiber types in domestic animals. Journal of Animal Science 34, 3741.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ashmore, CR, Carroll, F, Doerr, L, Tompkins, G, Stokes, H, Parker, W 1973. Experimental prevention of dark-cutting meat. Journal of Animal Science 36, 3336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banks, RG 1994. LAMBPLAN: genetic evaluation for the Australian lamb industry. In Proceedings of the 5th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 1994 Guelph Canada, pp. 15–18.Google Scholar
Brandstetter, AM, Picard, B, Geay, Y 1998. Muscle fibre characteristics in four muscles of growing bulls. I. Postnatal differentiation. Livestock Production Science 53, 1523.Google Scholar
Briand, M, Talmant, A, Briand, Y, Monin, G, Durand, R 1981. Metabolic types of muscle in sheep: I. Myosin ATPase, glycolytic and mitochondrial enzyme activities. European Journal of Applied Physiology 46, 347358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brockman, R, Laarveld, B 1986. Hormonal control of metabolism in ruminants: a review. Livestock Production Science 14, 313334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butterfield, RM, Griffiths, DA, Thompson, JM, Zamora, J, James, AM 1983. Changes in body-composition relative to weight and maturity in large and small strains of Australian Merino rams. 1. Muscle, bone and fat. Animal Production 36, 2937.Google Scholar
Cake, MA, Gardner, GE, Hegarty, RS, Boyce, MD, Pethick, DW 2006. Effect of nutritional restriction and sire genotype on forelimb bone growth and carcass composition in crossbred lambs. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 605616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chilliard, Y, Ferlay, A, Faulconnier, Y, Bonnet, M, Rouel, J, Bocquier, F 2000. Adipose tissue metabolism and its role in adaptations to undernutrition in ruminants. Proceeding of the Nutrition Society 59, 127134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Church, DC 1979. Digestive physiology and nutrition of ruminants. O & B Books Inc., Oregon.Google Scholar
Gardner, GE, Kennedy, L, Milton, JTB, Pethick, DW 1999. Glycogen metabolism and ultimate pH of muscle in Merino, first-cross and second-cross wether lambs as affected by stress before slaughter. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, 175181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, GE, Martin, KM, McGilchrist, P, Thompson, JM 2005. The impact of selection for muscling on carbohydrate metabolism. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 14, S26.Google Scholar
Gardner, GE, Daly, BL, Thompson, JM, Pethick, D 2006a. The effect of nutrition on muscle pH decline and ultimate pH post mortem in sheep and cattle. Recent advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia 15, 3337.Google Scholar
Gardner, GE, Pethick, DW, Greenwood, PL, Hegarty, RS 2006b. The effect of genotype and plane of nutrition on the rate of pH decline in lamb carcasses and the expression of metabolic enzymatic markers. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 661670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenwood, PL, Gardner, GE, Hegarty, RS 2006. Lamb myofibre characteristics are influenced by sire estimated breeding values and pastoral nutritional system. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 627639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG, Christopherson, RJ, Lister, D 1986. Adipose tissue capillary blood flow in relation to fatness in sheep. Research in Veterinary Science 40, 352356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hegarty, RS, Shands, C, Marchant, R, Hopkins, DL, Ball, AJ, Harden, S 2006a. Effects of available nutrition and sire breeding values for growth and muscling on the development of crossbred lambs. 1: growth and carcass characteristics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 593603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hegarty, RS, Hopkins, DL, Farrell, TC, Banks, R, Harden, S 2006b. Effects of available nutrition and sire breeding values for growth and muscling on the development of crossbred lambs. 2: composition and commercial yield. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 617626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hocquette, J-F, Bas, P, Bauchart, D, Vermorel, M, Geay, Y 1999. Fat partitioning and biochemical characteristics of fatty tissues in relation to plasma metabolites and hormones in normal and double-muscled young growing bulls. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology – Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 122, 127138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hopkins, DL, Fogarty, NM 1998. Diverse lamb genotypes – 2. Meat pH, colour and tenderness. Meat Science 49, 477488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jensen, F, Alvardado, S, Pirkusny, I, Geary, C 1995. NBQX blocks the acute and late epileltogenic effects of perinatal hypoxia. Epilepsia 36, 966972.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jocken, J, Blaak, E 2008. Catecholamine-induced lipolysis in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in obesity. Physiology and Behaviour 94, 219230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jopson, NB, Nicoll, GB, Stevenson-Barry, JM, Duncan, S, Greer, GJ, Bain, WE, Gerard, EM, Glass, BC, Broad, TE, McEwan, JC 2001. Mode of inheritance and effects on meat quality of the rib-eye muscling QTL in sheep. In Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Queenstown, New Zealand, pp. 111–114.Google Scholar
Kadim, IT, Purchas, RW, Rae, AL, Barton, RA 1989. Carcass characteristics of Southdown rams from high and low backfat selection lines. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 32, 181191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kadim, IT, Purchas, RW, Davies, AS, Rae, AL, Barton, RA 1993. Meat quality and muscle fibre type characteristics of Southdown rams from high and low backfat selection lines. Meat Science 33, 97109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knapp, J, Freetly, H, Reis, B, Calvert, C, Baldwin, R 1992. Effects of somatotropin and substrates on patterns of liver metabolism in lactating dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 75, 10251035.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunst, A, Draeger, B, Ziegenhorn, J 1983. UV-methods with hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. In Methods of enzymatic analysis (ed. HU Bergmeyer), pp. 163172. Verlag Chemie, Deerfield, FL, USA.Google Scholar
Leng, RA 1970. Formation and production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. In Physiology of digestion in the ruminant (ed. AT Phillipson), pp. 406421. Oriel Press, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.Google Scholar
Marbach, EP, Weil, MH 1967. Rapid enzymatic measurement of blood lactate and pyruvate. Journal of Clinical Chemistry 13, 314325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, W, Murphree, S, Saffitz, J 1989. Beta-adrenergic receptor distribution among muscle fibre types and resistance arterioles of white, red, and intermediate skeletal muscle. Circulation Research 64, 10961105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, RK, Granner, DK, Mayes, PA, Rodwell, VW 2000. Harper's biochemistry. Appleton and Lange, CT, USA.Google Scholar
Nicoll, GB, Burkin, HR, Broad, TE, Jopson, NB, Greer, GJ, Bain, WE, Wright, CS, Dodds, KG, Fennessy, PF, McEwan, JC 1998. Genetic linkage of microsatellite markers to the Carwell locus for rib-eye muscling in sheep. In Proceedings of the 6th World Congress of Genetics and Applied Livestock Production, Armidale, Australia, pp. 529–532.Google Scholar
Nossal, K, Sheng, Y, Zhao, S 2008. Productivity in the beef cattle and slaughter lamb industries, ABARE Research Report 08.13 for Meat and Livestock Australia, Canberra, pp. 5–24.Google Scholar
Ponnampalam, EN, Butler, KL, Hopkins, DL, Kerr, MG, Dunshea, FR, Warner, RD 2008. Genotype and age effects on sheep meat production. 5. Lean meat and fat content in the carcasses of Australian sheep genotypes at 20-, 30- and 40-kg carcass weights. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 893897.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saltin, B, Gollnick, PD 1983. Skeletal muscle adaptability: significance for metabolism and performance. American Physiological Society, MD, USA.Google Scholar
Warner, RD, Pethick, DW, Greenwood, PL, Ponnampalam, EN, Banks, RG, Hopkins, DL 2007. Unraveling the complex interactions between genetics, animal age and nutrition as they impact on tissue deposition, muscle characteristics and quality of Australian sheep meat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 12381339.Google Scholar
Weekes, TEC 1979. Carbohydrate metabolism. In Digestive physiology and nutrition of ruminants (ed. DC Church), pp. 187209. O & B Books, Inc., OR, USA.Google Scholar
Whipple, G, Koohmaraie, M 1992. Effects of lamb age, muscle type, and 24-hour activity of endogenous proteinases on postmortem proteolysis. Journal of Animal Science 70, 798804.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed