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The Effects of Colchicine on Milk Secretion, Mammary Metabolism and Blood Flow in the Goat
Author(s) -
Henderson A. J.,
Peaker M.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology and cognate medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0033-5541
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1980.sp002523
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , mammary gland , lactation , colchicine , secretion , lactose , metabolism , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , pregnancy , genetics , cancer , breast cancer
Mammary function in the conscious goat was studied during colchicine‐induced depression of milk secretion in one mammary gland. Milk yield of the treated gland was reduced to approximately a quarter of previous, while where were significant increases in afternoon milk yield from the untreated glands on the 2nd and 3rd days after treatment in goats in late lactation. Milk composition in the untreated glands was not significantly affected. In the treated gland, milk [Na + ], [Cl + ], [citrate] amd [protein] increased while [K + ] and [lactose] decreased, although the time course of these changes differed; milk [fat] was unaffected. Mammary extractions ((A‐V)/A) of glucose, acetate and most amino acids were significantly decreased during the period of maximal inlibition of secretion. There were no significant changes in arterial plasma concentrations of glucose, acetate or any essential amino acids. In another series of experiments, mammary blood flow increased and then returned to normal after colchicine treatment even though milk yield and mammary glucose uptake decreased markedly; oxygen uptake was not significantly affected. The results are discussed in relation to the actions of colchicine on the mammary secretory cell, to the normal control of mammary blood flow and to the mechanism of compensation by the untreated gland.