Ruminant Physiology addresses the effects of nutrition on immunology and cover topics related to the health and welfare of production animals.

Ruminant Physiology also addresses the relationship between nutrition and gene expression, illustrating important progress in scientific knowledge that can be obtained by applying molecular biology methods to the field.

Contents

Part I: Rumen fermentation

Characterisation and quantification of the microbial populations of the rumen

1. Enumerating and characterising prokaryotic and protozoal populations by culturebased and microscopic methods
2. Characterising bacterial populations by molecular biology techniques
3. Observations from cloning and sequencing studies for bacteria
4. Quantitative issues influencing the interpretation of bacterial clone libraries
5. Quantification of microbial populations in the rumen
6. Protozoal ecology
7. Protozoal interactions with Bacteria and Archaea

Digestion and passage of fibre in ruminants

1. Site of digestion
2. Digestion kinetics
3. Parameter estimates of intrinsic rate and extent of digestion
4. The in situ method
5. Effect of intrinsic characteristics on digestion kinetics
6. Effect of extrinsic characteristic on digestion kinetics
7. Validity of digestion kinetic methods
8. Passage kinetics
9. Methodology
10. Particle dynamics
11. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing passage kinetics
12. Integrated models of cell wall digestion in the rumen

Part II: Absorption mechanisms

Transport systems in the epithelia of the small and large intestines

1. Carbohydrate digestion and monosaccharide absorption
2. Rate of flow of starch into the small intestines
3. Enzymatic hydrolysis
4. Epithelial transport of sugars
5. Gastrointestinal absorption of amino acids and peptides
6. Absorption of amino acids
7. Absorption of tri- and dipeptides
8. Intestinal phosphate (P_i) absorption

Ruminal SCFA absorption: channelling acids without harm

1. Quantitative aspects of intraruminal acid production and their final fate
2. Intraruminal proton release and buffering
3. Mechanisms of acid elimination from the ruminal content
4. Intraepithelial metabolism of SCFA
5. Disadvantages vs. advantages of intraepithelial SCFA breakdown
6. Acid-base balance in the ruminal epithelial cell
7. pH_i regulating mechanisms and extracellular conditions
8. Systemic vs. luminal release of protons and acids
9. Functional adaptation of the ruminal epithelium can stabilise the whole system

Part III: Splachnic metabolism

Splanchnic metabolism of long-chain fatty acids in ruminants

1. Role of PDV in absorption of dietary LCFA
2. Role of splanchnic organs in coordination and use of LCFA
3. Secretion of TAG as VLDL vs. TAG accumulation in liver
4. Control of hepatic ß-oxidation of NEFA
5. Cellular partitioning of hepatic NEFA metabolism
6. Can hepatic capacity for NEFA ß-oxidation be manipulated?
7. Do PDV adipose tissues influence liver metabolism of LCFA?

Splanchnic amino acid metabolism in ruminants

1. Measurement of splanchnic amino absorption and metabolism
2. Metabolism of amino acids by the portal-drained viscera
3. Liver metabolism of amino acids
4. Metabolic impact of nonprotein nitrogen metabolism

Splanchnic metabolism of short-chain fatty acids in the ruminant

1. Low first pass sequestration of acetate and propionate by ruminal epithelium
2. Large first pass sequestration of butyrate and valerate by the ruminal epithelium
3. Is the ruminal epithelium a specialized butyrate scavenger?
4. Hepatic SCFA metabolism
5. Acyl-CoA synthetases in SCFA metabolism

Part IV: Lactation and reproduction physiology

Patterns and putative regulatory mechanisms of high-affinity glutamate transporter expression by ruminants

1. Glutamate transport systems System X^-_AG transport proteins
2. Importance of system X^-_AG transport capacity in support of tissue function
3. Characterized and putative regulatory mechanisms of system X^-_AG transporter expression and function
4. Modulation of chlortetracycline on cattle carcass quality and expression of system X^-_AG transporters and glutamine synthetase

Characterisation and nutritional regulation of the main lipogenic genes in the ruminant lactating mammary gland

1. Origin of milk fatty acids
2. Characterisation of the main lipogenic genes and tools for studying gene expression and regulation
3. Effect of dietary factors on lipogenic genes expression in the mammary gland
4. Molecular mechanisms involved in nutritional regulation of gene expression

Part V: Lactation and reproduction physiology

Prenatal nutrition, fetal programming and opportunities for farm animal research

1. Maternal and fetal responses to reduced maternal nutrition
2. Influence of early life nutrition on postnatal growth and metabolism
3. Animal models of nutritional programming
4. Interactions between prenatal and postnatal nutrition
5. Endocrine and metabolic mechanisms
6. Fetal programming - opportunities for research in farm animals

Mammary cell turnover: relevance to lactation persistency and dry period management

1. Concept of cell turnover
2. Identification of progenitor cells
3. Population dynamics during lactation
4. Population dynamics during a 60-day dry period
5. Implications of cell turnover to shortened dry periods

Milk fat depression: concepts, mechanisms and management applications

1. Milk fat depression
2. The effect of trans-10, cis-12 CLA on milk fat synthesis
3. Nutritional challenges of cows in early lactation
4. Milk fat reduction and associated lactation responses

Index

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