Journal of Animal Science, Vol 73, Issue 2 516-525, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Animal Science

CLINICAL TRIAL

The effect of slaframine on salivary output and subacute and acute acidosis in growing beef steers

B. Hibbard, J. P. Peters, S. T. Chester, J. A. Robinson, S. F. Kotarski, W. J. Croom Jr and W. M. Hagler Jr
Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, USA.

Experiments were conducted to determine 1) the effect of injecting slaframine (SF) on salivary output in growing beef steers and 2) whether increased salivary output after SF injection would inhibit the decrease in ruminal pH that occurs after experimentally induced subacute and acute ruminal acidosis. In Exp. 1 and 2, we measured ruminal pH and salivary output in ruminally and esophageally cannulated beef steers fed an 88% concentrate diet. Injections of 66 or 100 micrograms of SF/kg BW increased salivary flow approximately 50% compared with controls. Those doses were tested in subacute and acute acidosis models using ruminally cannulated beef steers in Exp. 3 and 4, respectively. In these experiments, salivation was assessed indirectly using a visual scoring system. In the subacute acidosis model, SF reduced (P < .10) the decrease in ruminal pH (1.1, .7, and .6 pH units for control, 66, and 100 micrograms of SF/kg BW doses, respectively), and excessive salivation was observed in all SF-injected steers. In the acute acidosis model, there were no differences (P > .10) in ruminal pH at 12 h after injection between control and SF-treated steers. Mean ruminal lactate concentrations for all treatment groups were between 87 and 112 mM. Although treatment with 66 micrograms of SF/kg BW reduced (P < .10) ruminal lactate concentrations, all ruminal lactate concentrations were indicative of acute acidosis. These results indicate that SF will reduce the decrease in ruminal pH associated with subacute acidosis in growing beef steers, but SF does not attenuate acute ruminal acidosis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. D. Wijnberg, P. J. van der Ven, and J. F.-G. Gehrmann Outbreak of salivary syndrome on several horse farms in the Netherlands Vet Rec., May 9, 2009; 164(19): 595 - 596. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. T. Vasconcelos and M. L. Galyean ASAS Centennial Paper: Contributions in the Journal of Animal Science to understanding cattle metabolic and digestive disorders J Anim Sci, July 1, 2008; 86(7): 1711 - 1721. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. G. Nagaraja and E. C. Titgemeyer Ruminal Acidosis in Beef Cattle: The Current Microbiological and Nutritional Outlook J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2007; 90(13_suppl): E17 - E38. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. N. Gozho, J. C. Plaizier, D. O. Krause, A. D. Kennedy, and K. M. Wittenberg Subacute Ruminal Acidosis Induces Ruminal Lipopolysaccharide Endotoxin Release and Triggers an Inflammatory Response J Dairy Sci, April 1, 2005; 88(4): 1399 - 1403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K. A. Beauchemin, D. J. Gibb, D. H. Crews Jr., D. D. Hickman, M. Streeter, and T. A. McAllister Effect of bunk management on feeding behavior, ruminal acidosis and performance of feedlot cattle: A review J Anim Sci, February 1, 2003; 81(14_suppl_2): E149 - 158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]