Effects of dietary copper on the expression of lipogenic genes and metabolic hormones in steers

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Cu supplementation on performance, subcutaneous adipose tissue mRNA expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD), uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and leptin in growing and finishing steers. Forty-eight purebred Angus steers were allotted to one of five treatments: 1) control (no supplemental Cu); 2) 10 mg Cu/kg DM from CuSO 4 ; 3) 10 mg Cu/kg DM from a Cu amino acid complex (Availa Cu); 4) 20 mg Cu/kg DM from CuSO 4 ; 5) 20 mg Cu/kg DM from Availa Cu. Steers were fed an alfalfa hay corn-based diet for 56 d (basal diet contained 7.1 mg Cu/kg DM) and switched to a high-concentrate diet for 144 d (basal diet contained 6.1 mg Cu/kg DM). Blood samples were obtained every 28 d throughout the entire experiment. On d 112 of the finishing period, subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained from the tail-head of three animals per treatment and analyzed for ACC, SCD, UCP2, and leptin mRNA expression. Animal performance was not affected by Cu supplementation during the growing phase. Steers receiving 10 mg Cu/kg DM from Availa Cu had higher (P < 0.05) ending body weights and tended (P < 0.10) to have higher ADG than steers receiving 10 mg Cu/kg DM from CuSO 4 during the finishing phase. Serum concentrations of nonesterified fatty acid and insulin were not affected by Cu supplementation. Steers receiving supplemental Cu tended (P < 0.11) to have less backfat relative to controls. However, dietary Cu did not influence the level of subcutaneous adipose tissue ACC and SCD mRNA. Neither UCP2 nor leptin gene expression was affected by Cu supplementation. These results indicate that dietary Cu supplementation (10 to 20 mg Cu/kg DM diet) may alter lipid metabolism of subcutaneous adipose tissue; however, it does not seem to affect expression of certain lipogenic genes.