Growth, body composition, hormonal and metabolic status in lambs treated long-term with growth hormone

The effect of long-term (10 weeks) treatment with growth hormone (GH) was investigated in twin lambs, one sibling being a control and the other treated with GH (0.1 mg/kg live weight per d). The lambs were fed on a concentrate-grass cube (9:1 w/w) diet at a daily rate of 40 g fresh weight/kg live weight. The average daily live-weight gain of the GH-treated lambs was 36% greater than that of the controls (307 v. 225 g/d, P less than 0.01). The carcass composition of the GH-treated lambs changed: fat content was decreased (P less than 0.01) and protein content was increased (P less than 0.05) when expressed relative to carcass dry matter. The absolute weights and the weights when expressed relative to fleece-free empty body of some muscles were significantly increased in GH-treated lambs. The mean retention times of both particulate- and liquid-phase components of the digesta were unchanged by GH treatment, when calculated for the rumen or for the entire gastrointestinal tract. The feed conversion ratio was significantly greater (P less than 0.01) in GH-treated lambs compared with controls. Nitrogen retained per g N intake was also significantly increased (P less than 0.05) by GH treatment. Plasma urea concentrations were decreased (P less than 0.05) and glucose concentrations were increased (P less than 0.01) in GH-treated lambs, whereas non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were unchanged. Plasma insulin and total insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations progressively increased in GH-treated lambs as treatment time continued. They were significantly correlated after week 4 of treatment. Two types of hepatic GH-binding site were detected, with high and low affinities for GH. The capacities of both binding sites were significantly increased (P less than 0.05) in GH-treated lambs when expressed per unit microsomal protein but, when expressed per liver, only the capacity of the high-affinity site was increased.