The ability of mammary tissue from prepubertal bulls and heifers of beef and dairy breeds to respond to hormonal stimuli through synthesis and secretion of milk proteins was studied. Experimental animals were six to eight month old Angus and Holstein cattle. All subjects were injected with estradiol and progesterone for seven days and slaughtered on day 15. Mammary tissue was explanted and cultured for 96 h in basal medium (B) which contained hormones necessary for maintenance, or stimulatory medium (P), further supplemented with prolactin. Selected cultures were incubated for 24 h in B or P medium containing 3H-amino acids. Concentrations of non-labeled alpha-lactalbumin (Alac), 3H-Alac, and 3H-total protein (TP) were determined in media and in explant homogenates. Among cultures of bull mammary tissue, Angus explants secreted greater overall quantities of 3 H-TP and 3H-Alac than Holstein explants (p<.05). Secretion of Alac was also greater in Angus cultures at two of eight treatment periods (p<.01). Concentrations of all three protein fractions were likewise enhanced in homogenates of Angus explants for at least three of four treatment periods (p≤.05). Presence of prolactin in medium stimulated secretion of Alac (p<.005), and accumulation of all three fractions in explants (p<.10). Holstein heifer explants secreted more Alac at three of eight treatment periods than Angus explants (p<.0005). Overall secretion of ³H-TP and ³H-Alac also was elevated in Holstein over Angus females (p<.10), as were concentrations of all three fractions in homogenates (p≤.01). Presence of prolactin had no direct effect on any protein parameters in female tissue. I conclude that mammary tissue of immature bulls and heifers can be hormonally induced to express it's genetic merit for milk production (based on breed differences), through synthesis and secretion of milk proteins. Prolactin stimulated protein production in bulls but not in heifers. These findings indicate that similar methods of stimulating mammary tissue to produce milk proteins may be adaptable for commercial evaluation of genetic potential for milk production, especially in young bulls. / M.S.

A 130-d study was conducted with 24 363kg steers allotted to four diets containing .3 (basal), 1.4, 2.5 and 3.7% Mg, dry basis. An attempt was made to feed cattle on all treatments equal amounts of the basal diet, but steers fed the two high levels refused some feed. Grab fecal samples were collected during nine 10-d periods. Chromic oxide was used as a digesta marker. Jugular blood samples were taken on d 1, 5, 10, 20 and every 10 d thereafter. Steers were sacrificed at the end of the study for gross pathological and histological observations and tissue samples were taken for mineral analysis. Severe diarrhea was observed in steers fed the two higher Mg levels. Tubular strands of mucosal tissue were consistently voided in the feces of cattle fed these levels of Mg. Steers fed the two higher Mg levels became more lethargic as the study progressed. Fecal dry matter content and apparent dry matter digestibility decreased linearly (P<.01) with increasing dietary Mg. Weight losses for steers fed 1.4, 2.5, or 4.7% Mg were 5, 27 and 29 kg, respectively, during the study, compared to a weight gain of 9 kg for cattle fed .3% Mg (quadratic effect, P<.01). Apparent absorption of Mg generally increased with dietary Mg (P<.01), except between d 20 and 70 when it decreased (P<.01). Apparent absorption of Ca and P generally decreased with dietary Mg but effects on P absorption were not always significant. Increasing dietary Mg resulted in a linear elevation of serum and erythrocyte Mg (P<.01) and inorganic P (P<.05) and a linear decrease in serum Ca (P<.01). Plasma osmolality tended to be lowest in steers fed the highest dietary Mg. Serum parathyroid hormone was suppressed at the higher Mg intakes at 3 h but not at 9 h after feeding. Ruminal fluid pH increased as dietary Mg increased from .3 to 2.5%, then decreased (quadratic effect, P<.05). A linear increase in pH (P<.05) was recorded with increasing dietary Mg in digesta samples taken at slaughter from the lower ileum and large intestine. The Mg concentration in the liver, kidney, skeletal muscle and rib-bone and the P concentration in the skeletal muscle increased linearly (P<.05) with dietary Mg. Histologically, amorphous crystals were seen in the kidney tubules of all animals. Increasing dietary Mg in the steers caused a progressive degeneration of the rumen papillae epithelium. / Ph. D.

Three experiments compared ruminal, physiological, and performance responses of beef steers consuming hay ad libitum and receiving grain-based supplements with (CAM) or without (CO) inclusion of camelina meal. In Exp. 1, 9 steers fitted with ruminal cannulas received CAM (2.04 kg of DM/d) or CO (2.20 kg of DM/d). Steers receiving CAM had reduced (P = 0.01) total DMI and tended to have reduced (P = 0.10) forage DMI compared to CO. No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.35) for ruminal hay degradability parameters. In Exp. 2, 14 steers receiving CAM (1.52 kg of DM/d) or CO (1.65 kg of DM/d) were assigned to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH; 0.1 μg/kg of BW) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 0.33 μg/kg of BW) challenges. Steers receiving CAM had greater (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of PUFA compared to CO prior to challenges. Upon CRH infusion, mean plasma ceruloplasmin concentrations increased at a lesser rate in CAM compared with CO (P < 0.01). Upon TRH infusion, no treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.55) for serum TSH, T₃, and T₄. In Exp. 3, 60 steers were allocated to 20 drylot pens. Pens were randomly assigned to receive CAM (2.04 kg of DM/steer daily) or CO (2.20 kg of DM/steer daily) during preconditioning (PC; d -28 to 0). On the morning of d 0, steers were transported for 24 h. Upon arrival from transport on d 1, pens were randomly assigned to receive, in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, CAM or CO during feedlot receiving (FR; d 1 to 29). During PC, CAM had reduced (P < 0.01) forage and total DMI, and tended to have reduced (P = 0.10) ADG compared to CO. Plasma linolenic acid concentrations increased during PC for CAM, but not for CO (P = 0.02). Steers that received CAM during FR had greater (P < 0.05) mean plasma concentrations of PUFA, and reduced mean rectal temperature and concentrations of haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin during FR compared to CO. Therefore, camelina supplementation reduced forage and total DMI, did not alter thyroid gland function, increased PUFA concentrations in blood, and attenuated the acute-phase protein reaction elicited by neuroendocrine stress responses. In conclusion, camelina meal is a feasible ingredient to reduce stress-induced inflammatory reactions and potentially promote cattle welfare and productivity in beef operations. / Graduation date: 2012

Perennial ryegrass (PRG, Lolium perenne) is a hardy cool-season grass that is infected with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium lolii, which enables the plant to be insect repellant and drought resistant, lowering the use of insecticides and fertilizers. However, this fungus produces the compound lolitrem B (LB, m/z 686.4) which causes the tremorgenic neurotoxicity syndrome 'ryegrass staggers' in livestock consuming forage which contains <2000 ppb LB. Ergovaline (EV, m/z 534) is a vasoconstrictor normally associated with tall fescue (Festuca arudinacea), but has also been found in endophyte-infected PRG. Past research has shown a strong linear correlation between levels of LB and EV in PRG. The purpose of this study was to examine the linear relationship between EV and LB in feces and determine common metabolites. To accomplish this, four groups of steers (n=6/group) consumed endophyte- infected PRG over 70 days consumed the following averages of LB and EV: group I 2254ppb LB/633 ppb EV; group II 1554ppb LB/ 373ppb EV, group III 1011ppb LB/259ppb EV, and group IV 246ppb LB/<100ppb EV. Group I in week 4 was inadvertently given a washout period at which time the steers consumed the amount of LB and EV given to group IV (control). Both feed and feces samples were extracted using difference solid phase extraction methods and quantified by HPLC-fluorescence for LB and EV. Concentrations of EV and LB obtained through HPLC-fluorescence in both PRG and feces showed a linear relationship. Additional screening for metabolites was conducted LC-MS/MS and showed possible oxidation and reduction metabolites for both toxins. / Graduation date: 2013