Muscarinic receptor subtypes, beta-adrenoceptors and cAMP in the tracheal smooth muscle of conventional and double-muscled calves

Double Muscling in Cattle: Genes, Husbandry, Carcasses and Meat

Molecular biology has enabled the identification of the mechanisms whereby inactive myostatin increases skeletal muscle growth in double-muscled (DM) animals. Myostatin is a secreted growth differentiation factor belonging to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. Mutations make the myostatin gene inactive, resulting in muscle hypertrophy. The relationship between the different characteristics of DM cattle are defined with possible consequences for livestock husbandry. The extremely high carcass yield of DM animals coincides with a reduction in the size of most vital organs. As a consequence, DM animals may be more susceptible to respiratory disease, urolithiasis, lameness, nutritional stress, heat stress and dystocia, resulting in a lower robustness. Their feed intake capacity is reduced, necessitating a diet with a greater nutrient density. The modified myofiber type is responsible for a lower capillary density, and it induces a more glycolytic metabolism. There are associated changes for the living animal and post-mortem metabolism alterations, requiring appropriate slaughter conditions to maintain a high meat quality. Intramuscular fat content is low, and it is characterized by more unsaturated fatty acids, providing healthier meat for the consumer. It may not always be easy to find a balance between the different disciplines underlying the livestock husbandry of DM animals to realize a good performance and health and meat quality.

The influence of ageing on muscarinic receptors, beta-adrenoceptors and adenylate cyclase activity in the bovine lung

Muscarinic and beta-adrenoceptors were identified in airway epithelium, smooth muscle and lung parenchyma from Holstein-Friesian calves and cows and were characterized with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate and [3H]dihydroalprenolol, respectively. The muscarinic receptor density in the smooth muscle of cows (Bmax = 4803 +/- 245 fmol/mg protein) was 33% greater (p < 0.01) than in calves. Low receptor numbers were detected in the epithelium and parenchyma. In both calves and cows, the density of epithelial beta-adrenoceptors was twice as high as in smooth muscle and parenchyma. The quantity of beta-adrenoceptors in the tracheal epithelium (Bmax = 994 +/- 83 fmol/mg protein) and smooth muscle (Bmax = 492 +/- 41 fmol/mg protein) in cows was respectively 37% (p < 0.001) and 35% (p < 0.01) lower than in calves. Adenylate cyclase (AC) assays indicated that the basal and the (-)-isopropylnoradrenaline- (ISO-) stimulated cAMP production were not significantly different between the calves and cows. After stimulation with NaF, significantly higher cAMP production was found in all tissues from cows. Significant correlations were found between absolute AC responses to NaF and beta-adrenoceptor density in epithelium (r = -0.75, p < 0.001) and smooth muscle (r = -0.63, p < 0.01). It seems that, in older animals, the production of cAMP is independent of the number of receptors, indicating the presence of fully active compensatory mechanisms.