Pancreatic mass, cellularity, and α-amylase and trypsin activity in feedlot steers fed increasing amounts of a high-moisture-corn based diet

Abstract

Twenty-four yearling beef steers (initial BW = 467 ± 3.6 kg), predominately of Angus breeding, were used in a randomized complete block design to determine the effect of dietary intake on pancreatic cellularity, mass, and α-amylase and trypsin activity. Steers were individually fed a high-moisture corn-based diet at 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, and 2.00% of BW (DM basis) using Calan gates. After 28 d on treatment, the heaviest steer from each dietary treatment was slaughtered per wk and pancreata collected. Average daily gain (kg) and pancreatic weight (g) increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) with increasing DM intake. Pancreatic DNA and RNA concentration and content, and RNA:DNA and protein:DNA did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments. This suggests that the observed increase in tissue weight was due to increases in both cell size and number. Total pancreatic α-amylase activity (kU pancreas-1) increased linearly (P = 0.04) with increasing DM intake. These data indicate that total pancreatic α-amylase activity (kU pancreas-1) linearly increases with increasing intake of a high-moisture corn-based finishing diet and that dietary intake-dependent changes in total pancreatic α-amylase activity are primarily due to changes in pancreatic weight rather than changes in the concentration of pancreatic α-amylase activity (U g-1 pancreas). Key words: Beef cattle, pancreas, α-amylase, trypsin, feed intake