Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T02:53:51.034Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Iodine metabolism and thyroid hormone relationships in growing sheep fed on kale (Brassica oleracea) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne)–clover (Trifolium repens) fresh-forage diets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

T. N. Barry
Affiliation:
Invermay Agricultural Research Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
S. J. Duncan
Affiliation:
Invermay Agricultural Research Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
W. A. Sadler
Affiliation:
Department Nuclear Medicine, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand
K. R. Millar
Affiliation:
Wallaceville Research Centre, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
A. D. Sheppard
Affiliation:
Wallaceville Research Centre, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. Kale (Brassica oleracea) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne)–clover (Trifolium repens) pasture, grown under similar soil conditions, were grazed in the vegetative state by growing lambs of 23·6 kg initial live weight for 24 weeks. The kale and pasture contained respectively 20 and 270 μg iodine/kg dry matter (DM). The kale also contained 8 μmol total glucosinolates/g DM and 11·5 g S-methyl-L-cysteine sulphoxide (SMCO)/kg DM, both of which were nondetectable in the pasture diet.

2. Intramuscular injections of 1 (475 mg) were given during weeks 1 and 12 to half the forty-eight lambs grazing each forage. Wool growth, live-weight gain and cytochrome oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) activity of biopsied hind-limb muscle were measured at 6-week intervals. Jugular blood samples were removed every 6 weeks for the determination of haematological factors and serum thyroid hormone concentrations. All animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiment and thyroid weight, thyroid I content, and the weight and cytochrome oxidase activity of heart muscle determined.

3. Serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4) increased from 20 to 48 nmol/l during the 24 weeks that control lambs grazed ryegrass-clover pasture. I supplementation increased the concentration and total amount of I in the thyroid gland and increased serum T4 concentration, but did not affect any other values measured in the lambs grazing the pasture herbage. Serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) were stable at 2 nmol/l for both groups.

4. Control lambs grazing kale for 24 weeks showed marked thyroid enlargement and depletion of thyroid I. By week 6, serum T4 and T3 concentrations had declined to 2–5 nmol/l and 1 nmol/l respectively and were stable at these values for the remainder of the experiment. I supplementation eliminated the thyroid depletion of this element, caused serum T4 concentration to rise and stabilize at 90 nmol/l by week 18, and T3 concentration to stabilize at 2 nmol/l by week 6. From week 6 onwards, wool growth was increased 13% by I supplementation, whereas empty body growth was unaffected.

5. Lambs grazing kale developed haemolytic anaemia, due to rumen fermentation of SMCO. I supplementation enabled the lambs to resist the anaemia better by increasing erythrocyte reduced gluthathione (GSH) content. Relative to pasture-fed animals, lambs grazing kale and supplemented with I showed increased heart muscle weight and cytochrome oxidase activity. This represented a compensatory mechanism for the reduced blood oxygen-carrying capacity caused by the anaemia. I-deficient (i.e. control) lambs grazing kale showed reduced cytochrome oxidase activity in both heart and hind-limb muscle.

6. The findings are in accord with T3 having a greater biological potency than T4 for regulating rates of body and wool growth. Increases in heart weight, heart cytochrome oxidase content and erythrocyte GSH content of kale-fed lambs were, however, associated with elevation in serum T4 and not T3 concentration.

7. I requirements of growing sheep and cattle consuming the pasture diets are discussed. Because of its better relationship to production traits, it is considered that requirements should be based on the ability to maintain T3 rather than T4 concentrations. On this basis, requirements could be met by diets containing 180–270 μg I/kg DM.

Type
Papers on General Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1983

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council (1980). The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Slough: Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Balsam, A., Sexton, F. & Ingbar, S. H. (1981). Endocrinology 108, 472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N. (1981). Br. J. Nutr. 46, 521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N., McDonald, R. C. & Reid, T. C. (1981). J. agric. Sci., Camb. 96, 257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N., Manley, T. R. & Millar, K. R. (1982). J. agric. Sci., Camb. 99, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barry, T. N., Reid, T. C., Millar, K. R. & Sadler, W. A. (1981). J. agric Sci., Camb. 96, 269.Google Scholar
Bernal, J. (1980). In Thyroid Research, vol. VIII, p. 259. [Stockigt, J.R. and Nagataki, S., editors]. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Chiraseveenuprapund, P., Buergi, U., Goswami, A. & Rosenberg, I. N. (1978). Endocrinology 102, 612.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chopra, I. J. & Solomon, D. H. (1980). In Endocrinology 1980, p. 235. [Cumming, I. A., Funder, J. W. and Mendelsohn, F. A. O., editors]. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Clark, F. (1963). Lancet no. 7300, 167.Google Scholar
De Groot, L. J. & Rue, P. A. (1980). In Endocrinology 1980, p. 413. [Cumming, I. A., Funder, J. W. and Mendelsohn, F. A. O., editors]. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Ferguson, K. A., Wallace, A. L. C. & Lindner, H. R. (1965). In Biology of the Skin and Hair Growth, p. 655 [Lyn, A. G. and Short, B. F. editors] Sydney: Angus and Robertson.Google Scholar
Forss, D. A. & Barry, T. N. (1983). J. Sci. Fd Agric. (In the Press.)Google Scholar
Goudling, A., McChesney, R. & Stewart, R. D. H. (1976). J. Endocr. 71, 399.Google Scholar
Hart, I. C., Bines, J. A. & Morant, S. V. (1979). J. Dairy Sci. 62, 270.Google Scholar
Hart, I. C., Bines, J. A., Morant, S. V. & Ridley, J. L. (1978). J. Endocr. 77, 333.Google Scholar
Ingbar, S. H. & Braverman, L. E. (1975). Ann. Rev. Med. 26, 443.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irvine, C. H. G. (1980). In Thyroid Research, vol. VIII, p. 252 [Stockigt, J. R. and Nagataki, S. editors]. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science.Google Scholar
Jagusch, K. T., Duganzich, D. M., Winn, G. W. & Rattray, P. V. (1981). Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod. 41, 117.Google Scholar
Moxon, R. E. D. & Dixon, E. J. (1980). Analyst, Lond. 105, 344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potter, B. J., Jones, G. B., Buckley, R. A., Belling, G. B., McIntosh, G. H. & Hetzel, B. S. (1980). Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 33, 53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riesco, C., Taurog, A., Larsen, P. R. & Krulich, L. (1977). Endocrinology 100, 303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sadler, W. A. & Brownlie, B. E. W. (1975). N.Z. med. J. 81, 328.Google Scholar
Sinclair, D. P. & Andrews, E. D. (1959). N.Z. vet. J. 7, 39.Google Scholar
Smith, R. H. (1974). Rep. Rowett Inst. 30, 112.Google Scholar
Smith, R. H. & Williams-Ashman, H. G. (1951). Biochim biophys Acta 7, 295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sutherland, R. L. & Simpson-Morgan, M. W. (1975). J. Endocr. 65, 319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tapper, B. A. & Reay, P. F. (1973). In Chemistry and Biochemistry of Herbage, p. 468 [Butler, G. W. and Bailey, R. W. editors]. London and New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Webster, A. J. F. (1975). In Principles of Cattle Production, p. 19 [Swan, H. and Broster, W. H. editors]. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar