Effects of amino acids administered to a perfused area of the skin in Angora goats.

The effect of infusion of supplemental amino acids on growth of mohair by Angora goats was investigated using a skin perfusion model. Four Angora wethers (average BW 32 +/- 2 kg) were implanted bilaterally with silicon catheters into the superficial branches of the deep circumflex iliac artery and vein. For the first 14 d of the experiment, goats were arterially infused with either a mixture of amino acids (one side) or saline (contralateral side). The hourly infusion rates of amino acids were .36 mg of methionine, .36 mg of lysine, and .72 mg of leucine. The area of skin supplied by the deep circumflex iliac artery was approximately 300 cm2; a tattoo 10 cm x 15 cm was made in the middle of the perfused region for quantifying mohair production and characteristics. Two weeks after cessation of infusions goats were shorn and the mohair from the tattooed regions was examined. Greasy and clean mohair production from the tattooed region were increased by amino acid infusion compared with the contralateral side infused with saline (3.51 vs 3.16 g, P < .04 and 3.13 vs 2.70 g, P < .07, respectively). Although mohair length and diameter were not significantly altered, venous concentrations of valine, threonine, arginine, glycine, and histidine were decreased by infusion of the amino acids (P < .05), no differences in T3, T4, or insulin concentrations in venous blood were detected, but plasma cortisol concentration was reduced (1.38 vs 2.61 micrograms/dL, P < .05) with amino acid infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)