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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 285/2/E252    most recent 00557.2002v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sauter, S. N. Articles by Hammon, H. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sauter, S. N. Articles by Hammon, H. M.

Effects of dexamethasone and colostrum intake on the somatotropic axis in neonatal calves

¹Division of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Genetics, Nutrition, and Housing, University of Berne, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland; ²Centre of Life and Food Sciences, Institute of Physiology, Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany; and ³Department of Pediatrics, Research Centre for Developmental Medicine and Biology, University of Auckland, NZ-92019 Auckland, New Zealand

Submitted 19 December 2002 ; accepted in final form 28 March 2003

Glucocorticoids and colostrum feeding influence postnatal maturation of the somatotropic axis. We have tested the hypothesis that dexamethasone (Dexa) affects the somatotropic axis in neonatal calves dependent on colostrum intake. Calves were fed either with colostrum or with a milk-based formula (n = 14/group), and, in each feeding group, one-half of the calves were treated with Dexa (30 µg · kg body wt^-1 · day^-1). Pre- and postprandial blood samples were taken on days 1, 2, 4, and 5, and liver samples were taken on day 5 of life. Dexa increased insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, but decreased growth hormone (GH) and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-1 and -2 plasma concentrations and increased GH receptor (GHR) mRNA levels in liver. Dexa increased IGF-I mRNA levels only in formula-fed calves and increased hepatic GHR binding capacity, but only in colostrum-fed calves. Colostrum feeding decreased IGFBP-1 and -2 plasma concentrations and hepatic IGFBP-2 and -3 mRNA levels. In conclusion, Dexa and colostrum feeding promoted maturation of the somatotropic axis. Dexa effects partly depended on whether colostrum was fed or not.

glucocorticoids; growth hormone; growth hormone receptor; insulin-like growth factor I; insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins

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