Journal article
Feed efficiency and body composition are related to cortisol response to adrenocorticotropin hormone and insulin-induced hypoglycemia in rams
SA Knott, LJ Cummins, FR Dunshea, BJ Leury
Domestic Animal Endocrinology | Published : 2010
Abstract
Metabolic rate and energy consumption increase through the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis when an animal is exposed to a stressor. Residual feed intake (RFI) as a measure of efficiency has been shown to be related to exogenous adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)-stimulated cortisol concentrations, which is indicative of the relationship between an animal's response to stress and the efficiency with which the energy is used for growth and production. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that sheep with low post-ACTH serum cortisol concentration relative to the other sheep in the flock have lower RFI values and lower cortisol concentrations following insulin-induced hy..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The research was funded by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries and Meat and Livestock Australia. Assistance from Peter Heazlewood, Gavin Kearney, Ian McCauley, and other staff from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries at Hamilton and Attwood is greatly appreciated. S.A. Knott was in receipt of a combined Meat and Livestock Australia and The University of Melbourne postgraduate scholarship and a Department of Primary Industries Nancy Millis scholarship.