Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1991 Sep 1;32(3):287–299. doi: 10.1186/BF03546957

Blood Serum Characteristics of Newborn Pigs: Comparison of Unaffected Pigs with Pigs Belonging to Five Mortality Groups

Blod serum parametre hos nyfødte grise: En sammenligning mellem normale grise og grise fra 5 forskellige mortalitetsgrupper.

L S Svendsen 1,✉, B R Weström 1, J Svendsen 1, A-Ch Olsson 1, B W Karlsson 1
PMCID: PMC8127894  PMID: 1814177

Abstract

The blood serum levels of glucose, hemoglobin, insulin, Cortisol, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha2-macroglobulin f and s, alpha2-antitrypsin inhibitor and alpha1-protease inhibitor were determined at birth in 5 clinically and morphologically identified mortality groups of pigs. These were compared with the levels observed in unaffected, apparently normal newborn unsuckled pigs. The blood serum profile of the pigs in the stillborn intra partum, weak, splayleg and trauma groups, respectively, as well as that of clinically normal splayleg littermates, differed significantly from that of the unaffected pigs. This was especially true for the levels of hemoglobin and the two macroglobulins. The importance of placental insufficiency causing chronic episodes of hypoxia which ultimately lead to a disturbance in organ development in the etiology of the mortality groups is discussed.

Keywords: perinatal mortality, glucose, hemoglobin, insulin, Cortisol, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha2-macroglobulin, alpha2-antitrypsin inhibitor, alpha1-protease inhibitor, stillborn, weak, splayleg, trauma, hypoxia

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.6 MB).

References

  1. Bengtsson G. Soluble and insoluble blood serum proteins in fed and fasted newborn pigs. Brit. J. Nutr. 1971;26:449–458. doi: 10.1079/BJN19710050. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bille N, Nielsen NC, Larsen JL, Svendsen J. Preweaning mortality in pigs. 2. The perinatal period. Nord. Vet. Med. 1974;26:294–313. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Björklund N-E, Svendsen J, Svendsen LS: Histomorphological studies of the perinatal pig: The unaffected pig. Acta vet. scand. 1987a, 28, 93–104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  4. Bjørklund N-E, Svendsen J, Svendsen LS: Histomorphological studies of the perinatal pig: Comparison of five mortality groups with unaffected pigs. Acta vet. scand. 1987b, 28, 105–116. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  5. Brenner K-V, Gürtler H, Müller I, Grün E. Die Konzentration an Insulin und Kortisol im blutplasma sowie die Masse der Nebennieren von Schweinen im perinatalen Lebensabschnitt. (Insulin and Cortisol concentrations in blood plasma and adrenal gland weight in perinatal life of swine). Arch. exp. Veterinärmed. 1981;35:211–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dixon WJ, Brown MB: (Editors). Biomedical Computer Programs, P. Series, pp. 1–880, U.C.L.A. Press, Los Angeles, 1977, revised 1983.
  7. Dvorák M. Adrenocortical function in foetal, neonatal and young pigs. J. Endocrinol. 1972;54:473–481. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0540473. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fagenholz SA, Lee JC, Downing SE. Association of anemia with reduced central respiratory drive in the piglet. Yale J. Biol. Med. 1979;52:263–270. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hakkarainen J: Developmental changes of protein, RNA, DNA, lipid, and glycogen in the liver, skeletal muscle and brain of the piglet. Acta vet. scand. 1975, Suppl. 59, 1–198. [PubMed]
  10. Herbein JH, Martin RJ, Griel LC, Kavanaugh JF. Serum hormones in the perinatal pig and the effect of exogenous insulin on blood sugars. Growth. 1977;41:277–283. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hill DJ, Strain AJ, Milner RDG: Presence of transforming growth-β-like activity in multiple fetal rat tissues. Cell Biol. Int. Rep. 1986, 10, 915- (cited by Richardson et al. 1989). [DOI] [PubMed]
  12. Haung SS, O’Grady P, Huang JS. Human transforming growth factor (beta)(alpha)2-macroglobulin complex is a latent form of transforming growth factor (beta) J. Biol. Chem. 1988;263:1535–1541. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Karlsson BW. Fetoprotein and albumin levels in the blood serum of developing neonatal pigs. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 1970;34:535–546. doi: 10.1016/0010-406X(70)90281-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Larsson M, Bronemo M, Rasmussen S. (A rapid diagnostic method for determining hemoglobin levels) Svensk Veterinärtidning. 1984;36:561–563. [Google Scholar]
  15. Laurell CB. Quantitative estimation of proteins by electrophoresis in agarose gel containing antibodies. Analyt. Biochem. 1966;15:45–52. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(66)90246-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lloyd CE, Kalinyak JE, Hutson SM, Jefferson LS: Stimulation of albumin gene transcription by insulin in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Amer. J. Physiol. 1987, 252, C205–C214. [DOI] [PubMed]
  17. Meberg A. Transitory thrombocytopenia in newborn mice after intrauterine hypoxia. Pediatr. Res. 1980;14:1071–1073. doi: 10.1203/00006450-198009000-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ohlsson BG, Weström BR, Karlsson BW. Proteinase inhibitors in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and liver during fetal and postnatal development of the pig. Biol. Neonate. 1986;49:292–300. doi: 10.1159/000242544. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Olsson A-CH, Svendsen J: Grisningsförlopp och moder-avkomma samspel i olika inhysningssystem (Observations of farrowing and mother-offspring interactions in different housing systems). Report 65, Dept. Farm Buildings. Swedish Univ. Agric. Sci., Lund 1989.
  20. Pomeroy RW. Infertility and neonatal mortality in the sow. III. Neonatal mortality and foetal development. J. Agric. Sci. Camb. 1960;54:31–56. [Google Scholar]
  21. Randall GCB. Observations on parturition in the sow. II. Factors influencing stillbirth and perinatal mortality. Vet. Rec. 1972;90:183–186. doi: 10.1136/vr.90.7.183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Randall GCB. Studies on the effect of acute asphyxia on the fetal pig in utero. Biol. Neonate. 1979;36:63–69. doi: 10.1159/000241208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Richardson RL, Campion DR, Hausman GJ, Wright JT. Transforming growth factor type β (TGF-β) and adipogenesis in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 1989;67:2171–2180. doi: 10.2527/jas1989.6782171x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stone RT. In vitro liver synthesis and serum levels of alpha fetoprotein and albumin in the fetal pig. Biol. Reprod. 1981;24:573–580. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod24.3.573. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Svendsen J, Bengtsson A-Ch: Perinatal mortality in pigs: Herd investigations of pigs with splayleg. Proceedings 7th Int. Pig Vet. Soc. Congr. Mexico City 1982, p. 164.
  26. Svendsen J, Bengtsson A-C, Svendsen LS: Occurrence and causes of traumatic injuries in neonatal pigs. Pigs News and Information 1986a, 7, 159–170.
  27. Svendsen J, Olsson A-C, Rantzer D: Produktion och sjuklighet fram till slakt hos grisar med och utan nedsatt vitalitet eller fysiska handikapp vid födelsen. (Productivity and the occurrence of disease through to slaughter in pigs with and without reduced vitality or physical handicap at birth). Report 62, Dept. Farm Buildings. Swedish Univ. Agric. Sci. Lund 1988.
  28. Svendsen J, Svendsen LS, Bengtsson A-C: Reducing perinatal mortality in pigs. In: Diseases of Swine, 6th Edition, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa 1986b, Ch. 71, pp. 813–825.
  29. Svendsen J, Weström BR, Svendsen LS, Bengtsson A-Ch, Ohlsson B, Karlsson, BW: Some blood serum characteristics of newborn unaffected pigs and of pigs dying within the perinatal period: stillborn intra partum pigs, weakborn pigs, underweight pigs and traumatized pigs. Swine in Biomedical Research, Plenum Press, New York, 1986c, Vol. 2, p. 1277–1288.
  30. Svendsen, LS: Organ weights of the newborn pig. Characterization and comparison of the organ weights of pigs dying within 48 hours of birth with those of unaffected, growing pigs: stillborn intra partum pigs, weak pigs, splayleg pigs, splayleg and weak (splayweak) pigs, and traumatized pigs. Acta vet. scand. 1982, Suppl. 78, 1–205. [PubMed]
  31. Svendsen LS, Weström BR, Svendsen J, Olsson A-C, Karlsson BW. Intestinal macromolecular transmission in underprivileged and unaffected newborn pigs; implication for survival of underprivileged pigs. Res. Vet. Sci. 1990;48:184–189. doi: 10.1016/S0034-5288(18)30988-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Thorell JI, Larson SM: Radioimmunoassay and Related Techniques: Methodology and Clinical Applications. C. V. Mosly Co., Saint Louis, 1978.
  33. Travis J, Salvesen GS. Human plasma proteinase inhibitors. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 1983;52:655–709. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.52.070183.003255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Weström BR, Karlsson BW, Svendsen J. Levels of serum protease inhibitors during fetal and postnatal development of the pig. Biol. Neonate. 1982;41:22–31. doi: 10.1159/000241512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Wrathall AE. An approach to breeding problems in the sow. Vet. Rec. 1971;89:61–71. doi: 10.1136/vr.89.3.61. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES