Plasma growth hormone and insulin concentrations in double-muscled and normal bull calves

Blood samples were taken from 19 double-muscled (DM) and 20 normal (N) bull calves at the ages of 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6.5 and 9 mo to compare the plasma concentrations of growth hormone and insulin in DM with those in N bull calves and to relate these to differences in growth rate between the two breed groups. Double-muscled bull calves were lighter (P less than .0001) than N calves at all ages and had lower (P less than .001) preweaning and postweaning rates of gain. Double-muscled bull calves had lower (P less than .01) mean growth hormone concentration than N calves. Mean growth hormone concentration was correlated positively with body weight and preweaning rate of gain. The effect of age on growth hormone concentration was linear (P less than .05); however, mean growth hormone concentration fluctuated between ages 1.5 to 4.5 mo but stabilized after 5.5 mo of age in both breed groups. Mean insulin concentration was lower (P less than .01) in DM than in N bull calves. The effect of age on insulin concentration was both linear and quadratic (P less than .0001). Mean insulin concentration generally was constant in both breed groups, at around .75 ng/ml, from 1.5 to 6.5 mo of age but rose sharply to around 1.67 ng/ml after weaning when the bulls were put on a high-energy diet.