Efeitos da somatotrofina recombinante bovina na puberdade de novilhas nelore

The present experiment evaluated differences in age and weight at puberty between Nellore heifers (260±34 kg; 12±1 months old) treated with saline (n=15) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST; n=16) every 14 days from 12 until 22 months of age or until puberty attainment. Additionally, we assessed the effect of rbST in subcutaneous fat thickness, plasma GH, IGF-I, leptin, glucose, insulin, and pregnancy in the first breeding season. All heifers were maintained on the same pasture and exposed to a teaser bull with a neck-marker device. Heifers body weight and subcutaneous backfat thickness were obtained every two months, ovaries were evaluated by ultrasound and blood samples collected every 14 days to monitor the presence of CL and plasma hormones concentration. There was no effect of treatment (p≥0.05) on age and weight at puberty or pregnancy in the first breeding season. The backfat thickness between the 12th and 13th rib was not affected by treatment (p≥0.05), however the rump backfat thickness was lower in rbST heifers at 18 and 22 months (respectively, p=0.04; p