TABLE 5.

Serum concentrations of metabolites and hormones on d 60, 80, 110, and 140 of pregnancy in ewes fed 100% NRC, 50% NRC, or 50% NRC + Arg diets¹

	Treatment (T) means			Day (D) means					P-values
Variable	100% NRC	50% NRC	50% NRC + Arg	60	80	110	140	SEM	T	D	T × D
BHB, mmol/L	1.1	1.4	1.1	0.7b	0.9b	1.5a	1.5a	0.3	0.323	0.001	0.202
FFA, μmol/L	319b	411b	589a	236c	340bc	404b	777a	114	0.038	0.001	0.413
Glucose, mmol/L	2.5a	2.1b	1.9b	2.3	2.2	2.0	2.1	0.2	0.010	0.285	0.559
Glycerol, μmol/L	49	29	54	30b	28b	34b	84a	14	0.093	0.001	0.046
Lactate, mmol/L	1.5	1.0	1.0	1.9a	1.2b	0.8b	0.9b	0.3	0.130	0.001	0.151
TAG,2μmol/L	161a	157a	106b	135b	113b	140b	178a	21	0.030	0.004	0.466
Urea, mmol/L	5.8	4.7	4.6	5.5	5.0	4.6	5.0	0.6	0.098	0.158	0.119
Ammonia, μmol/L	91ab	103a	85b	96	92	91	93	6.0	0.067	0.353	0.317
Insulin, pmol/L	93	58	94	117a	100a	57b	49b	24	0.267	0.003	0.884
GH, μg/L	3.8	5.0	3.6	2.7b	2.9b	3.4b	7.5a	1.0	0.213	0.001	0.051

¹Data are means with pooled SEM, n = 15 observations/d (5 ewes x 3 treatments) and n = 20 observations/treatment group (5 ewes × 4 d). Means in a row with superscripts without a common letter differ (P < 0.05) with regard to effects of treatment (T), day (D) or T × D interaction.

²TAG, triglycerides.