title: The effects of various forms of gastrointestinal cannulation on digestive measurements in sheep.
abstract: 1. There was little difference in digestive (voluntary food intake, dry matter digestibility and nitrogen balance) and blood measurements (venous concentrations of corticosteroids, serum aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1), protein-bound iodine, urea and glucose) of intact sheep (eight animals) and of sheep prepared with rumen cannular (sixteen animals) and subsequently with either simple 'T-shaped' (eight animals) or re-entrant cannulas (eight animals) at the duodenum and ileum, when fed ad lib. a chopped medium-quality-hay ration. 2. Wool growth rates of the intact sheep were similar to those in sheep with rumen cannulas and with rumen cannulas plus simple 'T-shaped' cannulas, but higher (P less than 0-01) than those with rumen cannulas plus re-entrant cannulas. 3. When the sheep were subsequently given a restricted intake (800 g/d) of dried grass, retention times of solid- and liquid-phase digesta markers in the rumen and caecum were similar in all sheep. 4. The use of the different preparations in digestive physiology studies is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism*; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D014935:Wool / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen