Studies of the large intestine of sheep

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Abstract
1. Experiments were undertaken to examine the errors associated with the use of indigestible markers, the 51Cr-labelled complex of chromium ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (51Cr-EDTA) and 103Ru-labelled tris-(1,10-phenanthroline)-ruthenium(II) chloride (103Ru-P), to measure liquid- and solid-phase digesta kinetics in the caecum and proximal colon of sheep.2. First-order kinetics of markers were observed following either single injection or termination of continuous infusion. There were no differences between the half-times (T½) of marker in the caecum plus proximal colon whether calculated from marker concentration in caecal digesta or in faeces. There were also no differences in the T½ values calculated for the liquid- and solid-phase markers. When pool sizes calculated from the marker kinetics were compared with the volume of digesta present in the caecum and proximal colon at slaughter, it appeared that the 51Cr-EDTA and 103Ru-P caecal pools described the digesta contained in the entire caecum and proximal colon.3. The flow-rates of dry matter (DM) through the caecum of sheep given 694 g lucerne (Medicago sativa) DM/d were similar whether estimated from total collection of faeces, by single injection of marker, or by the ratio, marker concentration: DM in either caecal digesta or faeces during continuous infusion of marker into either the rumen or the caecum.4. In sheep given 553 g brome grass (Bromus inermus) DM/d the coefficient of variation of estimates of the plateau of 51Cr-EDTA marker during continuous infusion into the caecum was greater when 130 ml infusate/d were administered than with 1000 ml/d.5. In the sheep given brome grass the lines of best fit of decline in In 51Cr-EDTA marker concentration v. time following termination of the continuous infusions described previously and following single injection of marker in 20 or 2 ml into the caecum were examined. The variation was least when 1000 ml infusate/d had been administered and was unacceptably large following a single injection of 2 ml.6. These experiments showed that tracer techniques could provide unbiased estimates of trace kinetics in the caecum and proximal colon.

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