The metabolic, stress axis, and hematology response of zilpaterol hydrochloride supplemented beef heifers when exposed to a dual corticotropin-releasing hormone and vasopressin challenge

Transcriptome analyses indicate that heat stress-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle is partially moderated by zilpaterol supplementation in beef cattle

Heat stress (HS) triggers oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and disrupts growth efficiency of livestock. β-adrenergic agonists supplemented to ruminant livestock improve growth performance, increase skeletal muscle mass, and decrease carcass fat. The objective of this study was to understand the independent and interacting effects of HS and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on the transcriptome of subcutaneous white adipose tissue and the longissimus dorsi muscle in steers. Twenty-four Red Angus-based steers were assigned to thermoneutral (TN; Temperature Humidity Index [THI] = 68) or HS (THI = 73-85) conditions and were not supplemented or supplemented with ZH (8.33 mg/kg/d) for 21 d in a 2 × 2 factorial. Steers in the TN condition were pair-fed to the average daily feed intake of HS steers. RNA was isolated from adipose tissue and skeletal muscle samples collected via biopsy on 3, 10, and 21 d and sequenced using 3' Tag-Seq to an achieved average depth of 3.6 million reads/sample. Transcripts, mapped to ARS-UCD1.2, were quantified. Differential expression (DE) analyses were performed in DESeq2 with a significance threshold for false discovery rate of 0.05. In adipose, 4 loci (MISP3, APOL6, SLC25A4, and S100A12) were DE due to ZH on day 3, and 2 (RRAD, ALB) were DE due to the interaction of HS and ZH on day 10 (Padj < 0.05). In muscle, 40 loci (including TENM4 and OAZ1) were DE due to ZH on day 10, and 6 loci (HIF1A, LOC101903734, PDZD9, HNRNPU, MTUS1, and TMCO6) were DE due to environment on day 21 (Padj < 0.05). To explore biological pathways altered by environment, supplement, and their interaction, loci with DE (Praw < 0.05) were evaluated in Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. In adipose, 509 pathways were predicted to be altered (P < 0.01): 202 due to HS, 126 due to ZH, and 181 due to the interaction; these included inflammatory pathways predicted to be upregulated due to HS but downregulated due to the interaction of HS and ZH. In muscle, 113 pathways were predicted to be altered (P < 0.01): 23 due to HS, 66 due to ZH, and 24 due to the interaction of HS and ZH. Loci and pathway data in muscle suggest HS induced oxidative stress and that the stress response was moderated by ZH. Metabolic pathways were predicted to be altered due to HS, ZH, and their interaction in both tissues. These data provide evidence that HS and ZH interact to alter expression of genes in metabolic and immune function pathways and that ZH moderates some adverse effects of HS.

Sustained heat stress elevated corneal and body surface temperatures and altered circulating leukocytes and metabolic indicators in wether lambs supplemented with ractopamine or zilpaterol

Understanding how β adrenergic agonists influence the physiology of heat stress could lead to mitigation options. We sought to investigate body surface temperatures in feedlot wethers supplemented with ractopamine or zilpaterol and exposed to heat stress for 18 d. Corneal and skin temperatures were assessed via infrared thermography at 1- and 2-m distances. Rectal temperatures and circulating leukocytes, metabolites, and electrolytes were also measured. Heat stress increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures in unsupplemented and zilpaterol-supplemented lambs but not in ractopamine-supplemented lambs. Heat stress also increased (P < 0.05) surface temperatures of the cornea, nose, ear, and back, regardless of supplement. Observations were comparable between thermography performed at 1 and 2 m, and higher emissivity settings generally produced less variation. Heat stress tended to increase (P = 0.08) blood monocytes in unsupplemented but not ractopamine- or zilpaterol-supplemented lambs. Granulocytes were increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress in ractopamine-supplemented lambs but decreased (P < 0.05) in zilpaterol-supplemented lambs. Blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol did not differ among groups, and blood lactate was reduced (P < 0.05) by heat stress in zilpaterol-supplemented lambs only. Blood Na+ was reduced (P < 0.05) and Ca2+ increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress, regardless of supplement. These findings indicate that β1- and β2-adrenergic agonists differentially relieve some but not all heat stress-induced changes in stress indicators. Moreover, corneal and skin surface temperatures measured by infrared thermography reasonably identified body temperature changes at a distance of 2 m.

Heat stress-induced deficits in growth, metabolic efficiency, and cardiovascular function coincided with chronic systemic inflammation and hypercatecholaminemia in ractopamine-supplemented feedlot lambs

Heat stress hinders growth and well-being in livestock, an effect that is perhaps exacerbated by the β1 agonist ractopamine. Heat stress deficits are mediated in part by reduced feed intake, but other mechanisms involved are less understood. Our objective was to determine the direct impact of heat stress on growth and well-being in ractopamine-supplemented feedlot lambs. Commercial wethers were fed under heat stress (40 °C) for 30 d, and controls (18 °C) were pair-fed. In a 2 × 2 factorial, lambs were also given a daily gavage of 0 or 60 mg ractopamine. Growth, metabolic, cardiovascular, and stress indicators were assessed throughout the study. At necropsy, 9th to 12th rib sections (four-rib), internal organs, and feet were assessed, and sartorius muscles were collected for ex vivo glucose metabolic studies. Heat stress increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures and respiration rates throughout the study and reduced (P < 0.05) weight gain and feed efficiency over the first week, ultrasonic loin-eye area and loin depth near the end of the study, and four-rib weight at necropsy. Fat content of the four-rib and loin were also reduced (P < 0.05) by heat stress. Ractopamine increased (P < 0.05) loin weight and fat content and partially moderated the impact of heat stress on rectal temperature and four-rib weight. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) spleen weight, increased (P < 0.05) adrenal and lung weights, and was associated with hoof wall overgrowth but not organ lesions. Ractopamine did not affect any measured indicators of well-being. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) blood urea nitrogen and increased (P < 0.05) circulating monocytes, granulocytes, and total white blood cells as well as epinephrine, TNFα, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Cortisol and insulin were not affected. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) blood pressure and heart rates in all lambs and increased (P < 0.05) left ventricular wall thickness in unsupplemented but not ractopamine-supplemented lambs. No cardiac arrhythmias were observed. Muscle glucose uptake did not differ among groups, but insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation was reduced (P < 0.05) in muscle from heat-stressed lambs. These findings demonstrate that heat stress impairs growth, metabolism, and well-being even when the impact of feed intake is eliminated by pair-feeding and that systemic inflammation and hypercatecholaminemia likely contribute to these deficits. Moreover, ractopamine improved muscle growth indicators without worsening the effects of heat stress.

Whole blood transcriptome analysis in feedlot cattle after 35 days of supplementation with a β1-adrenergic agonist

Ractopamine HCl (RHC) is supplemented to feedlot cattle to improve feed efficiency and increase carcass weight. Supplementation of RHC clearly benefits livestock production, but it is of note that the adrenergic system through which it acts is typically associated with stress. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the transcriptome of whole blood in RHC-supplemented feedlot cattle. We hypothesized that transcripts related to inflammatory processes would be upregulated after 35 days of dietary RHC supplementation. To test this hypothesis, RNA from whole blood collected from 16 cattle before and after supplementation with 300 mg/day of RHC was sequenced using 3' tag-seq. Eight transcripts were differentially expressed (Adjp < 0.10) between pre- and post-supplementation blood samples. Although several of these transcripts including IFI35, TYROBP, and TP53INP1 are associated with inflammation, a systemic dysregulation of inflammatory pathways was not evident. These data provide insight into the response of cattle to RHC supplementation that will direct future studies examining how the transcriptome of whole blood and other tissues responds during acute exposure to RHC and how this supplement mechanistically improves growth performance.

Hypertrophic muscle growth and metabolic efficiency were impaired by chronic heat stress, improved by zilpaterol supplementation, and not affected by ractopamine supplementation in feedlot lambs1

Feedlot performance is reduced by heat stress and improved by β adrenergic agonists (βAA). However, the physiological mechanisms underlying these outcomes are not well characterized, and anecdotal reports suggest that βAA may confound the effects of heat stress on wellbeing. Thus, we sought to determine how heat stress and βAA affect growth, metabolic efficiency, and health indicators in lambs on a feedlot diet. Wethers (38.6 ± 1.9 kg) were housed under thermoneutral (controls; n = 25) or heat stress (n = 24) conditions for 21 d. In a 2 × 3 factorial, their diets contained no supplement (unsupplemented), ractopamine (β1AA), or zilpaterol (β2AA). Blood was collected on days -3, 3, 9, and 21. On day 22, lambs were harvested and ex vivo skeletal muscle glucose oxidation was determined to gauge metabolic efficiency. Feet and organ tissue damage was assessed by veterinary pathologists. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) feed intake by 21%, final bodyweight (BW) by 2.6 kg, and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle mass by 5%. β2AA increased (P < 0.05) FDS mass/BW by 9% and average muscle fiber area by 13% compared with unsupplemented lambs. Blood lymphocytes and monocytes were greater (P < 0.05) in heat-stressed lambs, consistent with systemic inflammation. Plasma insulin was 22% greater (P < 0.05) and glucose/insulin was 16% less (P < 0.05) in heat-stressed lambs than controls. Blood plasma urea nitrogen was increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress on day 3 but reduced (P < 0.05) on days 9 and 21. Plasma lipase and lactate dehydrogenase were reduced (P < 0.05) by heat stress. Glucose oxidation was 17% less (P < 0.05) in muscle from heat-stressed lambs compared with controls and 15% greater (P < 0.05) for β2AA-supplemented compared with unsupplemented lambs. Environment and supplement interacted (P < 0.05) for rectal temperature, which was increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress on all days but more so (P < 0.05) in β2AA-supplemented lambs on days 4, 9, and 16. Heat stress increased (P < 0.05) the frequency of hoof wall overgrowth, but βAA did not produce any pathologies. We conclude that reduced performance in heat-stressed lambs was mediated by reduced feed intake, muscle growth, and metabolic efficiency. β2AA increased muscle growth and improved metabolic efficiency by increasing muscle glucose oxidation, but no such effects were observed with ractopamine. Finally, βAA supplementation was not detrimental to health indicators in this study, nor did it worsen the effects of heat stress.

Zilpaterol Hydrochloride affects Cellular Muscle Metabolism and Lipid Components of 10 Different Muscles in Feedlot Heifers

This study determined if zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) altered muscle metabolism and lipid components of 10 muscles. Crossbred heifers were either supplemented with ZH (n = 9) or not (Control; n = 10). Muscle tissue was collected (adductor femoris, biceps femoris, gluteus medius, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi, longissimus dorsi, pectoralis profundi, semitendinosus, subscapularis, trapezius) immediately following carcass splitting. The mRNA abundance of AMPkɑ, IGF-I, MHC-I, IIA and IIX, β1-adrenergic receptor (βAR) and β2AR was determined, as well as, cross-sectional area and proportion of myosin isoforms, β1AR, β2AR, β3AR, nuclei, and satellite cell density. Furthermore, neutral (NL) and polar lipid (PL) fatty acids (FA) were quantified (mg/g). Zilpaterol hydrochloride decreased MHC-IIA mRNA (P = 0.007). In addition, ZH decreased total nuclei and β1AR and increased MHC-IIX cross-sectional area (P ≤ 0.021). Quantity of NL FA were not affected by ZH (P ≥ 0.173). However, among PL FA the ratio of PUFA:SFA was greater with ZH (P = 0.048). Muscle type impacted mRNA concentration of AMPkɑ, IGF-I, MHC-I, IIA, IIX, and β1AR mRNA concentration (P ≤ 0.037). Furthermore, the fiber type proportion, fiber cross-sectional area, and the densities of nuclei, β1AR, β2AR, β3AR, and satellite cells were influenced by muscle type (P ≤ 0.030). Total NL FA were affected by muscle (P ≤ 0.046). Meanwhile, total PL FA did not differ due to muscle (P = 0.242). However, prominent PL FA,18:0, 18:1 trans, and 18:2 n-6 were each greater (P < 0.05) among the oxidative subscapularis compared with glycolytic semitendinosus and adductor femoris. Overall, these data reveal that ZH impacts muscle metabolism and myogenic activity that establishes protein deposition. Meanwhile, ZH did not alter triglyceride content (NL), but cell membrane saturation (PL) was influenced, in accordance with alterations to muscle fiber type. Muscle also influenced muscle fiber type and lipid components. Therefore, muscle biology is greatly influenced by muscle but also through dietary inclusion of ZH.