Plasma ghrelin is positively associated with body fat, liver fat and milk fat content but not with feed intake of dairy cows after parturition.

Ghrelin is a gastrointestinal peptide hormone that is present in blood mostly in a non-posttranslationally modified form, with a minor proportion acylated at Ser(3). Both ghrelin forms were initially assigned a role in the control of food intake but there is accumulating evidence for their involvement in fat allocation and utilization. We investigated changes in the ghrelin system in dairy cows, exhibiting differences in body fat mobilization and fatty liver, from late pregnancy to early lactation. Sixteen dairy cows underwent liver biopsy and were retrospectively grouped based on high (H) or low (L) liver fat content post-partum. Both groups had a comparable feed intake in week -6 (before parturition) and week 2 (after parturition). Only before parturition was preprandial total ghrelin concentration higher in L than in H cows and only after parturition was the basal plasma concentration of non-esterified fatty acids higher in H than in L cows. Both before and after parturition, H cows had higher preprandial plasma concentrations of acyl ghrelin, a higher acyl:total ghrelin ratio, lower plasma triacylglyceride concentrations and a lower respiratory quotient compared with L cows. These group differences could not be attributed to an allelic variant of the acyl ghrelin receptor. Rather, the ratio of acyl:total ghrelin correlated with several aspects of fat metabolism and with respiratory quotient but not with feed intake. These results show that endogenous ghrelin forms are associated with fat allocation, fatty liver, and utilization of fat during the periparturient period.

Sulfated cholecystokinin-8 increases ghrelin secretion but does not affect oxyntomodulin in Holstein steers.

The effect of appetite regulatory hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) on the secretions of oxyntomodulin (OXM) and ghrelin, and the effect of ghrelin on the secretions of CCK and OXM were studied in ruminants. Eight Holstein steers, 7 months old, 243 ± 7 kg body weight (BW), were arranged in an incomplete Latin square design (8 animals × 4 treatments × 4 days of sampling). Steers were intravenously injected with 10 µg of sulfated CCK-8/kg BW, 20 µg of acyl ghrelin/kg BW, 100 µg of des-acyl ghrelin/kg BW or vehicle. Blood samples were collected from -60 min to 120 min relative to time of injection. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin, sulfated CCK and OXM were measured by double-antibody radioimmunoassay. Plasma acyl ghrelin was increased to peak level (428.3 ± 6 pg/mL) at 60 min after injection of CCK compared with pre-injected levels (203.3 ± 1 pg/mL). These results showed for the first time, that intravenous bolus injection of CCK increased ghrelin secretion in ruminants. In contrast, injection of ghrelin did not change CCK secretion. Administration of ghrelin or CCK has no effect on plasma OXM concentrations. In conclusion, our results show that administration of CCK increased ghrelin secretion but did not affect OXM release in ruminants. Ghrelin did not affect the secretions of CCK and OXM.

Bombesin-like peptides stimulate growth hormone secretion mediated by the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor in cattle.

This study was designed to determine the effects of bombesin-like peptides (BLPs) on the secretion of growth hormone (GH) and to characterize the receptor subtypes mediating these effects in cattle. Four experiments were conducted: (1) six steers were randomly assigned to receive intravenous (IV) bolus injections of 0, 0.2, 1.0, 12.5 and 50.0 µg/kg neuromedin C (NMC); (2) seven pre-weaned calves were IV injected with 1.0 µg/kg NMC; (3) six steers were IV injected with 2.5µg/kg bovine gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), 1.0 µg/kg NMC combined with 20.0 µg/kg [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 (an antagonist for the GH secretagogue receptor type 1a [GHS-R1a]), 1.0 µg/kg NMC combined with 20.0 µg/kg N-acetyl-GRP(20-26)-OCH(2)CH(3) (N-GRP-EE, an antagonist for the GRP receptor), 20.0 µg/kg N-GRP-EE alone, 1.0 µg/kg neuromedin B (NMB); and (4) four rats were IV injected 1.0 µg/kg NMC. A serial blood sample was collected before and after injection. Plasma GH levels dose-dependently increased at 5 min after NMC injection and the minimal effective dose was 1.0 µg/kg. Plasma GH level was elevated by GRP, but not by NMB. The NMC-induced elevation of GH was completely blocked by N-GRP-EE. The administration of NMC elevated GH level in pre-weaned calves but not in rats. Ghrelin level was unaffected by any treatments; and [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 did not block the NMC-induced elevation of GH. The results indicate BLP-induced elevation of GH levels is mediated by the GRP receptor but not through a ghrelin/GHS-R1a pathway in cattle.

Sulfated gastrin stimulates ghrelin and growth hormone release but inhibits insulin secretion in cattle.

This study was designed to determine the effects of gastrin on the circulating levels of ghrelin, growth hormone (GH), insulin, glucagon and glucose in ruminants. Two experiments were done in eight Holstein steers. Animals were randomly assigned to receive intravenous bolus injections: (1) 0.1% bovine serum albumin in saline as vehicle, 0.8, 4.0 and 20.0 µg/kg body weight (BW) of bovine sulfated gastrin-34; (2) vehicle, 0.53 µg/kg BW of bovine sulfated gastrin-17 alone or combined with 20.0 µg/kg BW of [D-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6, the selective antagonist of GHS-R1a. Blood samples were collected from -10 to 150 min relative to injection time. Concentrations of acyl and total ghrelin in response to gastrin-34 injection were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Concentrations of GH were also markedly elevated by gastrin-34 injection; however, the effect of 20.0 µg/kg was weaker than that of 4.0 µg/kg. The three doses of gastrin-34 equally decreased insulin levels within 15 min and maintained the level until the time of last sampling. Gastrin-34 had no effect (P > 0.05) on the levels of glucagon and glucose. Levels of acyl ghrelin increased after administration of gastrin-17 alone or combined with [D-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6; however, [D-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 did not block the elevation of GH by gastrin-17. The present results indicate that sulfated gastrin stimulates both ghrelin and GH release, but the GHS-R1a may not contribute to the release of GH by gastrin. Moreover, sulfated gastrin seems to indirectly maintain the homeostasis of blood glucose through the down-regulation of insulin in ruminants.

Involvement of endothelin B receptors in the endothelin-3-induced increase of ghrelin and growth hormone in Holstein steers.

The present study was designed to determine the dose-dependent effects of endothelin-3 (ET-3) on the secretion of ghrelin and growth hormone (GH) and characterize the receptors involved in these effects. Eight Holstein steers were randomly assigned to receive intravenous bolus injections of vehicle (0.1% bovine serum albumin in saline), bovine ET-3 (0.1, 0.4, 0.7 and 1.0microg/kg), IRL1620 (selective ET(B) receptor agonist, 2.0microg/kg), [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 (GH secretagogue receptor type 1a [GHS-R1a] antagonist, 20.0microg/kg) and bovine ET-3 (1.0microg/kg) combined with [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6 (20.0microg/kg), respectively. Blood samples were collected at -30, -15, 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 and 60min relative to injection time. Concentrations of acyl ghrelin, total ghrelin (acyl and des-acyl ghrelin) and GH in plasma were analyzed by a double antibody radioimmunoassay system. Concentrations of acyl and total ghrelin were significantly increased by ET-3 in a dose-dependent manner. Concentrations of GH were markedly elevated by administration of 0.4, 0.7 and 1.0microg/kg of ET-3, and the effect of 0.7microg/kg was greater than that of 1.0microg/kg. The minimum effective dose of ET-3 in the secretion of ghrelin and GH was 0.4microg/kg. IRL 1620 mimicked the effects of ET-3 on the secretion of ghrelin and GH in plasma. ET-3-induced elevation of plasma GH was blocked by [d-Lys(3)]-GHRP-6. These results indicate that ET-3 dose-dependently stimulates ghrelin release, and ET(B) receptors involve in these processes. Moreover, this study shows that endogenous ghrelin response to ET-3 increases GH secretion through GHS-R1a.

Detection of serum amyloid A isoforms in cattle.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting were used to characterize 7 serum amyloid A (SAA) isoforms in cows with amyloidosis or chronic inflammation. Five SAA isoforms (isoelectric point [pI] 5.6, 6.1, 6.4, 6.8, and 7.7) were detected in all 10 amyloidosis serum samples, while 2 isoforms, pI 5.2 and 8.6, were detected in 4 and 9 of the samples, respectively. The same 7 isoforms were also detected in the serum of cows with chronic inflammation, but SAA pI 5.2 and 8.6 were detected in only 1 and 2 of 10 samples, respectively. It was concluded that although an amyloid-specific SAA isoform was not detected, examination of SAA isoform detection patterns may help identify bovine amyloidosis.

Role for des-acyl ghrelin in the responsiveness of plasma hormones and metabolites to ghrelin in Holstein steers.

Gastric-derived peptide hormone ghrelin is known for its potent growth hormone (GH) stimulatory effects. The acyl-modification on N-terminal Ser(3) residue is reported to be important to stimulate the ghrelin receptor, GH secretagogue-receptor type1a (GHS-R1a). However, major portion of circulating ghrelin lacks in acylation, and some biological properties of des-acyl ghrelin have been reported in monogastric animals. In the present study, the responsiveness of plasma hormones and metabolites to ghrelin in steers was characterized, and role for des-acyl ghrelin in these changes was investigated. The repeated intravenous administrations of bovine ghrelin (1.0 microg/kg BW) every 2h for 8h to Holstein steers significantly increased the plasma acylated ghrelin, total ghrelin, GH, insulin and NEFA levels. The GH responses in peak values and area under the curves (AUCs) were attenuated by repeated injections of ghrelin, however, the responses of plasma total ghrelin were similar. Plasma insulin AUC decreased after fourth injection of ghrelin while plasma NEFA AUCs gradually increased by repeated injections of ghrelin. Pretreatment of des-acyl ghrelin (10.0 microg/kg BW) 5 min prior to the single injection of ghrelin (1.0 microg/kg BW) did not affect the ghrelin-induced hormonal changes. Moreover, the responses of plasma GH to bovine and porcine ghrelin, which differ in C-terminal amino acid residues, were similar in calves. These data show that (1) GH release was attenuated by repeated administration of ghrelin, (2) ghrelin regulates glucose and fatty acid metabolism probably via different pathway, and (3) des-acyl ghrelin is unlikely the antagonist for ghrelin to induce endocrine effects in Holstein steers.

Combined administration of ghrelin and GHRH synergistically stimulates GH release in Holstein preweaning calves.

Ghrelin is a gut peptide which participates in growth regulation through its somatotropic, lipogenic and orexigenic effects. Synergism of ghrelin and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) on growth hormone (GH) secretion has been reported in humans and rats, but not in domestic animals in vivo. In this study, effects of a combination of ghrelin and GHRH on plasma GH and other metabolic parameters, and changes in plasma active and total ghrelin levels were studied in Holstein bull calves before and after weaning. Six calves were intravenously injected with vehicle (0.1% BSA-saline), ghrelin (1 microg/kg BW), GHRH (0.25 microg/kg BW) or a combination of ghrelin plus GHRH at the age of 5 weeks and 10 weeks (weaning at 6 weeks of age). Ghrelin stimulated GH release with similar potency as GHRH and their combined administration synergistically stimulated GH release in preweaning calves. After weaning, GH responses to ghrelin and GHRH became greater compared with the values of preweaning calves, but a synergistic effect of ghrelin and GHRH was not observed. The GH areas under the concentration curves for 2h post-injection were greater in weaned than in preweaning calves (P<0.05) if ghrelin or GHRH were injected alone, but were similar if ghrelin and GHRH were injected together. Basal plasma active and total ghrelin levels did not change around weaning, but transiently increased after ghrelin injection. Basal plasma insulin, glucose and non-esterified fatty acid levels were reduced after weaning, but no changes by treatments were observed. In conclusion, ghrelin and GHRH synergistically stimulated GH release in preweaning calves, but this effect was lost after weaning.

Effects of peripheral administration of PYY3-36 on feed intake and plasma acyl-ghrelin levels in pigs.

These studies were designed to investigate the effects of i.v. administration of peptide YY(3-36) (PYY(3-36)) on feed intake, acylghrelin, and GH levels in castrated male pigs. Feed intake levels were evaluated during both ad libitum and fast-refed conditions, and plasma hormone responses were evaluated during fasting. During ad libitum feeding, i.v. injection of PYY(3-36) (30 microg/kg body weight, BW) significantly reduced feed intake levels within 3 h post-treatment. In the fast-refed condition, both single bolus injection (30 microg/kg BW) and i.v. infusion (0.25 microg/kg BW per min) of PYY(3-36) suppressed feed intake levels 1 h post-treatment. Duration of the elevation of plasma PYY levels induced by i.v. injection of porcine PYY(3-36) in ad libitum-fed pigs was longer compared with the values of fasted or fast-refed pigs. In the infusion study, the elevation of plasma PYY levels was maintained throughout the infusion period and values were reduced less than half at 15 min after termination of infusion. These results showed that the anorexigenic short-term effect of PYY(3-36) treatment corresponds to its half-life. However, i.v. PYY(3-36) injection did not influence plasma acyl-ghrelin levels. On the other hand, single bolus injection of PYY(3-36) increased plasma GH levels 30 min after treatment. Similar to previous findings in other mammalian species, the results of these studies show that PYY(3-36) can reduce feed intake levels; in particular, the effect is potent and acute in pigs. Furthermore, basal plasma PYY levels were higher in ad libitum-fed pigs than in fasted pigs suggesting that circulating PYY(3-36) levels influence satiety and contribute to the termination of feed intake in pigs.

Dose-dependent response of plasma ghrelin and growth hormone concentrations to bovine ghrelin in Holstein heifers.

The stimulatory effect of the novel gastric-derived hormone, ghrelin, on growth hormone (GH) secretion has been reported in domestic animals as well as in humans and rats. The octanoyl modification on the Ser3 residue of ghrelin appears to be essential for its endocrine activity. A major portion of circulatory ghrelin lacks acylation but possesses some biological activities other than GH stimulation; therefore, both types of acylated and des-acyl ghrelin are supposed to be important for energy homeostasis. The effects of pharmacological doses of rat and/or human ghrelin on GH secretion have been reported recently in ruminants; however, the physiological effect of exogenous bovine ghrelin on its own plasma level and on GH secretion is still unknown. Moreover, the RIA systems for the measurement of bovine active ghrelin and for bovine total ghrelin including acylated ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin and all ghrelin peptides with an intact bovine C-terminal have not yet been validated. In this study, we established the RIA system for bovine ghrelin, and the dose-dependent effects of synthesized acylated bovine ghrelin(1-27) on plasma active and total ghrelin, GH, insulin and metabolites were measured in Holstein heifers. Six animals were intravenously injected with synthesized acylated bovine ghrelin (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 microg/kg body weight (BW)) and plasma hormone concentrations were measured from serially collected samples. Bovine ghrelin RIA showed that the basal level of total ghrelin is approximately 16 times higher than that of active ghrelin in bovine plasma. Both forms of ghrelin were increased in a dose-dependent manner in response to bovine ghrelin injections, peak values were reached at 5 min after administration and returned to pre-injected values within 15 min. Plasma GH was responsive to all doses of bovine ghrelin in a dose-dependent manner, peaked as early as at 5-10 min after injection and returned to the basal value within 60 min. The GH area under curve 1 h after injection of the smallest dose of ghrelin used in this experiment (0.1 microg/kg BW) was significantly higher than that of the vehicle (0.1% BSA saline)-injected control group (P<0.05). The GH response to the highest dose of ghrelin (10.0 microg/kg BW) was greater than the response to 5.0 microg/kg BW ghrelin (P<0.001). Plasma glucose concentrations were not significantly altered by the administration of bovine ghrelin while plasma insulin levels were transiently stimulated by the higher doses of ghrelin (1.0, 5.0, 10.0 microg/kg BW). Plasma non-esterified fatty acid levels also increased following ghrelin administration. Our study indicates that a considerable quantity of both acylated and des-acyl ghrelin is circulating in the bloodstream, and also confirms that ghrelin is not only a potent stimulator of GH secretion but also plays a considerable role in energy homeostasis in Holstein heifers.