Net absorption of amino acids by portal-drained viscera and hind half of beef cattle fed a high concentrate diet.

Two experiments were conducted to measure the effect of level of feed intake on net amino acid absorption by portal-drained viscera of six beef heifers with catheters in a mesenteric vein, portal vein and iliac artery (Exp. 1) and to evaluate intrajugular infusion of insulin or glucose on amino acid uptake by hind half of four beef steers with catheters in posterior aorta and vena cava (Exp. 2). Experiment 1 was a replicated 3 X 3 Latin square design. Treatments were calculated intakes of 84, 157 or 225 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg.75 live weight. Treatments in Exp. 2 were control (no infusion), insulin infusion (1.4 IU/min for 90 min) and glucose infusion (2.5 mmol/min for 90 min) in that order. Mean live weight of animals +/- SE was 295 +/- 4 kg (Exp. 1) and 345 +/- 15 kg (Exp. 2). The diet used in both experiments was pelleted, 85% concentrate (2.9 Mcal ME/kg dry matter). Blood flow (BF) was measured by dilution of a primed, continuous infusion of para-aminohippuric acid into the mesenteric vein (Exp. 1) or the posterior aorta (Exp. 2). Net uptake or absorption was the product of BF times portal-arterial (Exp. 1) or arteriovenous (Exp. 2) differences in amino acid concentrations in blood. Increased feed intake caused linear (P less than .05) increases in net absorption of several amino acids, including lysine, methionine, leucine and valine (Exp. 1). Feed intake did not affect (P greater than .05) net absorption of glutamate or glutamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)