Disrupted one-carbon metabolism in heifers negatively affects their health and physiology

Authors: Crouse, Matthew; TROTTA, RONALD - University Of Kentucky; FREETLY, HARVEY - Retired ARS Employee; Lindholm-Perry, Amanda; Neville, Bryan; Oliver, William; HAMMER, CARRIE - North Dakota State University; SYRING, JESSICA - North Dakota State University; KING, LAYLA - University Of Minnesota Crookston; NEVILLE, TAMMI - North Dakota State University; REYNOLDS, LAWRENCE - North Dakota State University; DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University; CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University; WARD, ALISON - University Of Saskatchewan; Cushman, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2024
Publication Date: 5/21/2024
Citation: Crouse, M.S., Trotta, R.J., Freetly, H.C., Lindholm-Perry, A.K., Neville, B.W., Oliver, W.T., Hammer, C.J., Syring, J.G., King, L.E., Neville, T.L., Reynolds, L.P., Dahlen, C.R., Caton, J.S., Ward, A.K., Cushman, R.A. 2024. Disrupted one-carbon metabolism in heifers negatively affects their health and physiology. Journal of Animal Science. 102. Article skae144. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae144.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae144

Interpretive Summary: The feeding of one-carbon metabolites (including methionine and B vitamins) has been shown to improve fetal growth and milk production in species such as mice, sheep, and dairy cattle. Extending this to beef cattle around the time of breeding is a growing area of research. Our group previously determined that one-carbon metabolite supplementation to beef heifers altered the abundance of circulating methionine-folate cycle intermediates in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, we aimed to determine a whole-body response to one-carbon metabolite supplementation in heifers to measure the effects on specific physiological systems as well as a total systemic response. We determined that treatments that negatively altered the methionine-folate cycle yielded a fundamental negative whole-body response to supplementation.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the dose-dependent response of one-carbon metabolite (OCM: methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B12) supplementation on heifer dry matter intake on fixed gain, organ mass, hematology, cytokine concentration, pancreatic and jejunal enzyme activity, and muscle hydrogen peroxide production. Angus heifers (n = 30; body weight [BW] = 392.6 ± 12.6 kg) were individually fed and assigned to one of five treatments: 0XNEG: total mixed ration (TMR) and saline injections at days 0 and 7 of the estrous cycle, 0XPOS: TMR, rumen-protected methionine (MET) fed at 0.08% of the diet dry matter, rumen-protected choline (CHOL) fed at 60 g/d, and saline injections at days 0 and 7, 0.5X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 5-mg B12, and 80-mg folate injections at days 0 and 7, 1X: TMR, MET CHOL, 10-mg vitamin B12, and 160-mg folate at days 0 and 7, and 2X: TMR, MET, CHOL, 20-mg vitamin B12, and 320-mg folate at days 0 and 7. All heifers were estrus synchronized but not bred, and blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, and at slaughter (day 14) during which tissues were collected. By design, heifer ADG did not differ (P = 0.96). Spleen weight and uterine weight were affected cubically (P = 0.03) decreasing from 0XPOS to 0.5X. Ovarian weight decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing folate and B12 injection. Hemoglobin and hematocrit percentage were decreased (P < 0.01) in the 0.5X treatment compared with all other treatments. Plasma glucose, histotroph protein, and pancreatic a-amylase were decreased (P