Abstract
Total thyroxine in plasma was studied during pregnancy, lactation and during the post weaning period. The ovarian activity was monitored by progesterone determinations, and oestrous symptoms were recorded. In the two sows studied during pregnancy there was a distinct decrease in total thyroxine values in the last month of pregnancy, reaching a minimum about the time of farrowing. Total thyroxine values stayed low during lactation, but from about the time of weaning and during the following two weeks the concentrations increased rapidly. There was no difference in the thyroxine pattern in sows resuming ovarian activity within normal time (10 days) after weaning (72 sows) compared with sows with delayed resumption of ovarian activity (19 sows). The thyroxine level after weaning did not differ between sows with “silent 11631” and sows with overt oestrus. Primiparous and pluriparous sows had also similar thyroxine values after weaning. Sows weaned in January—June had a little higher thyroxine concentrations after weaning than sows weaned in July—December. There was a significant negative correlation between number of suckling piglets and thyroxine concentrations before weaning. Free thyroxine index was calculated in some selected samples. The results suggested that the changes observed in total thyroxine reflect changes in the free thyroxine concentrations.
Keywords: thyroxine, sow, pregnancy, lactation, post weaning, reproduction
Sammendrag
Total thyroxin i plasma hos purke ble undersøkt under drektighet, laktasjon og i perioden etter avvenning. Purkenes ovarialaktivitet ble undersøkt ved hjelp av progesteronmålinger, og eventuelle brunstsymptomer ble registrert. Hos de drektige purkene var det et tydelig fall i thyroxinverdiene fra ca. en måned før partus, og konsentrasjonene nådde et minimum omtrent ved partus. Thyroxinverdiene var lave under laktasjonen, men fra avvenning og i de følgende to uker steg plasmakonsentrasjonene raskt. Det var ingen forskjell mellom thyroxinprofilen hos purker som gjenopptok syklisk ovarialfunksjon innen normal tid (10 dager) etter avvenning (72 purker) og thyroxinprofilen hos purker med forsinket igangsetting av syklisk ovarialfunksjon (19 purker). Purker med „stille brunst“ hadde samme thyroxinmønster etter avvenning som purker med tydelige brunsttegn. Primipare og pluripare purker hadde heller ikke forskjell i thyroxinverdiene etter avvenning. Purker som ble avvent i tiden januar—juni hadde litt høyere thyroxinkonsentrasjoner etter avvenning enn purker avvent i perioden juli—desember. Det var signifikant negativ korrelasjon mellom antall grisunger og thyroxinkonsentrasjonene før avvenning. „Free thyroxine index“ ble beregnet i et utvalg av prøver. Resultatet tyder på at de observerte forandringer i totalthyroxin også indikerer forandringer i konsentrasjonen av fritt thyroxin.
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Footnotes
Financial support was given by the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council.
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