Endocrine Abstracts

Abnormal foetal growth is associated with an increased predisposition to impaired glucose metabolism (Hales and Barker. Diabetologia 1992; 35: 595-601). The aim of the study was to examine whether size at birth influenced glucose tolerance in pigs at 5 months of age.The litters from 4 multiparous sows were weighed at birth. A low (L: <10th percentile) and normal (N: 40th-60th percentile) piglet was selected from each l...

Increasing energy intakes of sows may decrease the severity of changes in body condition occurring throughout the reproductive cycle and lead to improved efficiency of energy utilisation. The study aimed to examine the effects of feeding extra energy during late pregnancy on body fat deposition, reproductive performance and plasma insulin concentration.Twenty-four multiparous sows were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments. From day 85 of...

In humans, pregnancy is considered a diabetogenic event1. A similar situation occurs in sows1. The amount of fat in the sows' diet is inversely correlated to glucose clearance time, thus modifying glucose tolerance2. The aim was to investigate the influence of altered maternal diet during gestation (term = 115days) on the glucose tolerance of the sow. Thirty-four pregnant sows were randomly allocated to 4 isocaloric diets for either the first (G1) or second (G2) 60 days of ges...

Epidemiological studies have shown that infants of low birth weight show poor neonatal growth and increased susceptibility to adult diseases such as diabetes in later life. Pigs provide an ideal model to examine the influence of size at birth due to the natural variance in piglet weight within a litter. This study examined whether birth weight influences the expression of UCP3 and it's regulation by thyroid hormones in neonatal pigs.Piglets from 11 litte...

In humans, pregnancy is considered a diabetogenic event1. A similar situation occurs in sows1. The amount of fat in the sows' diet is inversely correlated to glucose clearance time, thus modifying glucose tolerance2. The aim was to investigate the influence of altered maternal diet during gestation (term = 115days) on the glucose tolerance of the sow. Thirty-four pregnant sows were randomly allocated to 4 isocaloric diets for either the first (G1) or second (G2) 60 days of ges...

Leptin, the 16 kDa product of the obese gene, and uncoupling proteins (UCP) are both involved in energy expenditure. Piglets have recently been shown to express UCP2, it has been speculated that the induction of UCP2 in adipose tissue by leptin may stimulate thermogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of leptin administration on body temperature, leptin and UCP2 mRNA. Ten Meishan sows gave birth naturally at term and siblings were paired by birth weight ...

Leptin, 16 kDa polypeptide hormone is produced primarily, although not exclusively, by adipocytes. It has been proposed to play a role in neonatal growth and development. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of chronic leptin administration on the growth performance and endocrine profile of neonatal pigs. Ten Meishan sows gave birth naturally at term and siblings were paired by birth weight and gender. Piglets were subsequently randomly allocated to either ...

Perinatal nutrition has marked effects on both the health and development of the newborn animal, especially in the case of the intra-uterine growth restricted (IUGR) foetus. IGF-1 and leptin play important roles in the regulation of growth and energy metabolism. The study aimed to examine whether prenatal nutrition influences the growth performance and endocrine profile of IUGR pigs. From day 85 of gestation, pregnant sows were allocated to the standard diet (S: n=4) or the S ...

It is well established that neonatal mortality is greater in the leaner commercial (C) porcine genotypes compared to the ancient Meishan (M) breed, which has a higher percentage of body fat. Piglets do not express UCP1, responsible for heat production in neonatal mammals, although they do express UCP2. The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrine and metabolic control of UCP2 expression between the C and M genotypes.Piglets from 15 C and 15 M l...

Neonatal mortality is greater in the leaner commercial porcine genotypes compared to the Meishan breed. Leptin is a 16 kDa protein involved in energy regulation, a number of studies have demonstrated leptin’s presence in maternal milk. Meishan sows have a significantly higher body fat content than commercial pigs, but it is unknown whether they produce more leptin in milk. The extent to which this dietary supply provides the neonate with leptin and any effects on growth a...