Urinary 3-methylhistidine and progressive winter undernutrition in white-tailed deer
Canadian Journal of Zoology
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Abstract
Physiological indicators of muscle catabolism would aid assessment of winter nutritional restriction of ungulates, and urinary 3-methylhistidine has exhibited potential in this regard in several species. We examined the effect of chronic moderate and severe nutritional restriction during winter on urinary 3-methylhistidine:creatinine ratios in seven adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the relationship of these ratios to urinary urea nitrogen:creatinine ratios. Mean base line estimates of urinary 3-methylhistidine:creatinine ratio for the control and severely restricted deer (0.043 and 0.086 µmol:mg, respectively) were similar (P = 0.280) and remained unchanged in the control deer throughout the study. In contrast, mean 3-methylhistidine:creatinine ratios increased dramatically as nutritional restriction and cumulative mass loss progressed; the quadratic component of the data for the chronically restricted deer was significant (P < 0.001). Likewise, there was a strong curvilinear relationship (R2 = 0.82) between cumulative mass loss (up to 29%) of the pooled deer and urinary 3-methylhistidine:creatinine ratios. Further, urinary urea nitrogen:creatinine ratios were strongly related to 3-methylhistidine:creatinine ratios (r2 = 0.89). Our study indicates that further investigation of 3-methylhistidine as an indicator of physical condition and muscle protein breakdown is warranted.
Suggested Citation
DelGiudice, G., Kerr, K., Mech, L., Riggs, M., Seal, U., 1998, Urinary 3-methylhistidine and progressive winter undernutrition in white-tailed deer: Canadian Journal of Zoology, v. 76, no. 11, p. 2090-2095, https://doi.org/10.1139/z98-148.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Urinary 3-methylhistidine and progressive winter undernutrition in white-tailed deer |
| Series title | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
| DOI | 10.1139/z98-148 |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Year Published | 1998 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| Description | 6 p. |
| First page | 2090 |
| Last page | 2095 |