Abstract #46

# 46
The role of gut peptides in the gut-brain-axis of livestock.
Andrew P. Foote*1, 1USDA-ARS, US Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE.

Gut peptides are small hormones produced within the gut that are involved in many biological processes including, but not limited to, appetite regulation, mucosal growth, and metabolism regulation. Some peptides, such as cholecystokinin (CCK) and xenin-25 may affect appetite by altering gut motility through cholinergic pathways, but most of the hunger/satiety signals are processed through the brain. Ghrelin is a peptide produced mostly in the gastric stomach or abomasum and increases before a meal. The ghrelin receptor is expressed in neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and binding leads to the release of neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide, thereby stimulating appetite. While ghrelin is thought to serve as a hunger signal in meal fed animals, it may also be involved in the variability of DMI in ad libitum fed animals. Other gut peptides, including peptide YY, oxyntomodulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), act as satiety signals and are inhibitory to ghrelin. These peptides stimulate neurons in the arcuate nucleus to release α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), thereby decreasing appetite. The actions of gut peptides are not limited to appetite regulation. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a potent stimulator of intestinal mucosa growth and gut blood flow, and could be important for gut health of livestock. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) increases insulin secretion and regulates lipid metabolism. Because the complete functions of many gut peptides in livestock species are not known, studying their regulatory roles is critically important in nutritional physiology and animal health.

Key Words: appetite regulation, metabolism regulation, gut function

Speaker Bio
Dr. Andrew Foote is a native of Texas.  He attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX for his B.S. and M.S. degrees.  Following completion of his M.S., Dr. Foote attended the University of Kentucky to study nutritional physiology under Dr. David Harmon.  Dr. Foote’s research was focused on the effect of toxins in tall fescue on foregut blood flow and nutrient absorption in beef cattle.  Dr. Foote completed a brief post-doc at the US Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, NE under Dr. Harvey Freetly before accepting a position as a Research Physiologist at the US Meat Animal Research Center in 2013.  Dr. Foote’s current research is focused on characterizing physiological mechanisms that contribute to feed efficiency in beef cattle.  Recent efforts have been in determining the contribution of the gut peptide ghrelin, and other hormones, on feed intake and feed efficiency in feedlot cattle and the role genetics play in gut peptide physiology.