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Tissue Glycogen Levels in Relation to Age and Some Parameters of Rumen Development in Lambs¹

University of California, Davis

Abstract

Liver, heart and skeletal muscle glycogen concentrations, blood glucose levels, relative rumino-reticular and omasal-abomasal tissue weights, and total rumen volatile fatty acids have been measured in five 2-year old wethers and 81 lambs ranging in age from birth to 114 days. Relative rumino-reticular weights and ratios and total rumen volatile fatty acids were maximum at 8 or 9 weeks of age. Whole blood glucose, relatively high at birth, attained adult levels at approximately 6 or 7 weeks; the decline was attributable primarily to the disappearance of glucose from erythrocytes.

Liver and skeletal muscle glycogen stores, which are quite high in the fetal lamb just before birth, were rapidly utilized and nearly depleted within a few hours after birth. With the establishment of an adequate nutrient intake, these stores quickly attained or exceeded those of the adult. From 4 to 7 weeks of age, 16 hours of fast resulted in near depletion of liver glycogen and a reduction of skeletal muscle glycogen reserves. A similar fast had relatively little effect on liver glycogen levels of the adult sheep or on the skeletal muscle reserves of lambs older than 7 weeks. Cardiac glycogen attained adult levels early in life and was relatively unaffected by fasting.

There were no definite relationships between tissue glycogen levels and the parameters of rumen development studied, except for a suggestion that the former were relatively unaffected by 16 hours of fast in lambs 8 or 9 weeks old, an age coincident with a major shift from non-ruminant to ruminant.

¹ Supported in part by U. S. Public Health Service Grant A-3291.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. L. Baldwin VI, K. R. McLeod, J. L. Klotz, and R. N. Heitmann Rumen Development, Intestinal Growth and Hepatic Metabolism In The Pre- and Postweaning Ruminant J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2004; 87(13_suppl): E55 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]