bGH IN ANIMAL BREEDING (DAIRY COWS). POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON RBC MEMBRANE COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES

Growth hormone (bGH) treatment, useful to improve milk production, can have nutritional and physiological implications. The improved milk production must be supported by an increased concentration of nutrients administered to treated cows. In fact bGH can induce fat mobilization with a resulting high level of blood NEFA. The lipid structural organization is important for biological membrane function and it may change as a consequence of different factors. Red blood cell (RBC) membrane may exchange fats with plasma lipids and the membrane lipids greatly influence membrane properties. The aim of this research has been to analyze the influence of bGH treatment on RBC membrane lipid content and composition