Author(s)

Brandy Patrice Huderson, Bisi Thankamani Velayudhan, Ronald Edward Pearson, Steve Edward Ellis, Robert Michael Akers

Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, USA.
Department of Dairy Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA.

Growth hormone (GH) and estrogen are essential stimulators of mammary cell proliferation and mammary development as mammals near puberty. Mammary ductal growth requires modifications of the extracellular matrix (ECM) for this tissue expansion to occur. Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of exogenous GH and ovariectomy (known to impact estrogen production) on gene expression of selected ECM proteins in the mammary parenchyma (PAR) and mammary fat pad (MFP) of prepubertal calves. Our hypothesis was that both GH and ovariectomy would alter the mRNA expression of multiple mammary ECM proteins. However, treatment with GH significantly reduced the expression of only fibronectin in PAR. However, the mRNA expression of all of the ECM proteins tested was numerically lower in PAR from GH treated calves. In contrast, staged ovariectomy decreased expression of fibronectin and heat shock protein 90 but increased expression of epimorphin in mammary PAR. In the MFP expression of Rac-1 and fascin were increased. These findings suggest that effects of exogenous GH on mammary gland composition are only marginally dependent on alterations in ECM proteins but the more pronounced effects of ovariectomy (reduced PAR mass and altered myoepithelial ontogeny) are more likely linked to changes in expression of ECM proteins.

Bovine Mammary Development; Gene Expression; Extracellular Matrix; Growth Hormone; Ovariectomy

Huderson, B. , Velayudhan, B. , Pearson, R. , Ellis, S. and Akers, R. (2013) Effect of exogenous somatotropin and staged ovariectomy on mRNA expression of select ECM-related proteins in mammary tissue of prepubertal Holstein calves. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 3, 160-168. doi: 10.4236/ojas.2013.33024.