title: The influence of feeding pattern on changes in plasma ghrelin in the Holstein cow.
abstract: We measured the plasma ghrelin and cortisol concentrations in non-lactating cows under fixed-time feeding conditions followed by an acute or gradual fasting treatment. During the 4 days before fasting, animals in Group 1 were fed a fixed amount of rations at 0800 and 1600 hr, and those in Group 2 were fed a gradually reduced amount. Thereafter, the plasma ghrelin concentrations of each animal were measured for 40 hr. The plasma ghrelin concentrations, which were low at the onset of fasting, increased before and after 0800 during fasting in Group 1, but not in Group 2. There were no significant differences in the plasma cortisol concentration within or between the groups. It was demonstrated that acute fasting induces elevation of the plasma ghrelin concentration, but that gradual fasting does not. This result suggests that fixed-time and fixed-quantity feeding caused a daily ghrelin rhythm in the cow and that this rhythm influenced changes in plasma ghrelin.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Towada-shi, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Nachi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kangawa
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005215:Fasting / Q000502:physiology*; D005248:Feeding Methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D006854:Hydrocortisone