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Rumen Succinate Production May Ameliorate the Effects of Cobalt-Vitamin B-12 Deficiency on Methylmalonyl CoA Mutase in Sheep

D. Glenn Kennedy, Paul B. Young, W. John McCaughey^*, Seamus Kennedy and W. John Blanchflower

^* Department of Biochemistry, Physiology Department of Biochemistry, Pathology, Veterinary Research Laboratories, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3SD, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

When lambs were fed a cobalt-deficient whole barley diet there was a rapid and massive increase in rumen succinate concentrations. Within 2 d of feeding the Co-deficient diet, the rumen succinate concentrations rose 200-fold and peaked at a level 1000-fold higher than that in Co-sufficient controls. Rumen propionate concentrations decreased, suggesting that an alteration in the balance between succinate- and propionate-producing microorganisms had occurred. The rumen succinate can be absorbed and thus may lead to elevated plasma succinate concentrations in Co-deficient animals, whether fed barley or grass. Thus, the absorbed succinate can at least partially overcome the effect on gluconeogenesis of a decreased activity of methylmalonyl CoA mutase induced by Co-deficiency. These findings suggest that impaired propionate metabolism may not be the primary metabolic defect in ovine Co-deficiency.

KEY WORDS: • sheep • cobalt • vitamin B-12 • succinate • propionate

Manuscript received 17 July 1990. Revision accepted 17 December 1990.

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