title: Serum levels of stanniocalcin-1 in Holstein heifers and cows.
abstract: Stanniocalcin-1 is a hormone that possesses both paracrine and endocrine functions and has recently been identified in mammals. While paracrine functions have been determined for several organs, the role of circulating stanniocalcin-1 in cattle is still unclear but, observations in mice and cows suggest that stanniocalcin-1 plays a role in both gestation and lactation. The changes in serum stanniocalcin-1 content in different physiological states have never been evaluated in ruminants. We measured stanniocalcin-1 levels in sera from cattle ranging in age from post-weaned calves to 17-month-old heifers and in sera from cows during lactation and pregnancy. Our results indicate that the blood concentration of stanniocalcin-1 is increased by pregnancy, but not by lactation. The highest levels of stanniocalcin-1 were found in young calves and during the non-lactating period preceding calving. This suggests that stanniocalcin-1 is important for gestation and the preparation of the mammary gland for lactation.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delbecchi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Loiselle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ster
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lacasse
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D007774:Lactation / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; C051795:teleocalcin