EFFECTS
OF ORALLY ADMINISTERED
COMPOUNDS
BLOOD CONSTITUENTS
A T 8 A N D 56 H O U R S ,
SURVIVAL AND WEIGHT
GAINS IN
NEONATAL
PIGS i
S. J.
B R U E G G E R 2 AND J .
H.
ON
CONRAD 3
Purdue University, La/ayette, Indiana 47907
and Conrad (1972) showed
B RUEGGER
that albumin given orally within 12 hr.
after birth significantly increased the serum
albumin levels at 1 and 8 days of age and indicated that such treatment may increase weight
gains in young pigs. As with serum albumin,
newborn pigs are also deficient in serum
gamma globulin (Lecce and Matrone, 1960)
and are dependent upon the early ingestion of
adequate quantities of colostrurn to obtain
normal concentrations of gamma globulin in
their blood (Kalich, Kovacs and Maier, 1967).
Accordingly, Owen and Bell (1964) found
that orally administered immune globulins
from swine serum provided an effective passive immunity for newborn pigs.
Since the metabolism of the newborn pig is
critically dependent upon the concentration
of circulating carbohydrates (Goodwin, 1957)
and since carbohydrates provide most of the
energy (McCance and Widdowson, 1959),
dosing newborn pigs with a sugar such as lactose, dextrose or fructose may provide a readily utilizable source of energy if needed. Similarly, Curtis, Heidenreich and Foley (1964)
suggested a unique role of blood fructose as
an energy substrate in the newborn pig due to
the high levels at birth which decreased rapidly within the first 8 hr. after birth.
Staley, Jones and Corley (1969) suggested
that lipids, like proteins, were absorbed intact
through the intestinal mueosa of the newborn
pig. Thus, fatty acids absorbed in this manner
could serve as a readily available energy
source.
The experiments reported here were undertaken to study further the effects of various
orally administered compounds on blood components which might influence survival and
growth of neonatal pigs.
1Department o~ Animal Sciences Journal Paper No. 4344,
Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station.
2 Present address: Developmental Research, Agricultural Division, Pfizer, Inc,, Terre Haute, Indiana 47808.
8 Present address: Department of Animal Science, University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32601.
416
Experimental Procedure
In each of the first three experiments, 24
newborn crossbred pigs in three litters were divided into heavy and light weight groups and
randomly assigned to treatment.
Experiment 1. Treatments consisted of the
following: (1) 10 ml of 0.9% saline solution
(control), (2) 5 g of porcine albumin dissolved in 10 ml of 0.9% saline solution, (3)
5 g of porcine gamma globulin dissolved in
10 ml of 0.9% saline solution, (4) 10 g of
fructose dissolved in 10 ml of 0.9~o saline
solution. The amount of albumin given in
this experiment was more than twice the
amount used in the previous study (Bruegger
and Conrad, 1972).
Experiment 2. Treatments used in this experiment were the following: (1) 10 ml of
0.9% saline solution (control), (2) 10 ml of
oleic acid, (3) 10 ml of methyl oleate, (4) 10
ml of a combination of fatty acid esters
(methyl palmitate, methyl oleate and ethyl
linoleate). The ratio of the fatty acids in this
combination was approximately the same as
in sows' colostrum, i.e., 1 to 2 to i (deMan
and Bowland, 1963).
Experiment 3. Treatments used were as follows: (1) 10 ml of 0.9% saline solution (control), (2) 10 g of dextrose dissolved in 10 ml
of 0.9% saline solution, (3) 10 g of lactose
dissolved in 10 ml of 0.9% saline solution,
(4) 10 ml of dairy cream (30% butterfat).
Experiment 4. Seventy-eight crossbred pigs
in 13 litters were used in this experiment. Six
of the intermediate weight pigs in each litter
were assigned at random to six experimental
treatments. These treatments consisted ot
three compounds used in the three previous
experiments that produced the best responses.
These compounds were given separately and
in combinations. In addition, the volume of
the dosage was doubled from 10 to 20 milliliters. The treatments used were the following:
(1) 20 ml of water (control), (2) 20 ml of
methyl oleate solution (10 ml of methyl oleate
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE, vol. 34, no. 3, 1972
417
D I E T AND NEONATAL PIGS
+ 1 0 ml of water), (3) 20 ml of albumin solu- weight gains are presented in table 1. The
tion (5 g of porcine albumin dissolved in fructose treatment resulted in higher ( P ~ . 0 1 )
water to make 20 ml of solution), (4) 20 ml of blood fructose levels (115.17 rag/100 ml)
lactose solution (10 g of lactose dissolved in than in any of the other treatments (5A4,
water to make 20 ml), (5) 20 ml of albumin- 6.07 and 7.24 rag/100 ml). This high level
methyl oleate solution (5 g of porcine albu- demonstrates that the fructose was readily abm i n + 1 0 ml of methyl oleate+water to make sorbed by the pig and is in agreement with
20 ml), (6) 20 ml of albumin-methyl oleate- the report of Aherne et al. (1969a). However,
fructose is not readily utilized since urinary
lactose solution (2.5 g of porcine albumin+
excretion of this sugar has been observed to
10 ml of methyl oleate+10 g of lactose+
be sufficient to account for the apparent loss
water to make 20 ml).
Housing and management of pigs, dosing of fructose from the blood of newborn pigs
within 12 hr. postnatally and processing of (Aherne et al., 1969b). The reports of Aherne
blood samples were as previously described et al. (1969a, b) were published after the
(Bruegger and Conrad, 1972). However, in work reported here was conducted. Treatment
these studies blood samples were withdrawn had no significant effect on any of the other
at 8 and 56 hr. after dosing. In addition, to blood constituents measured at 8 or at 56 hr.
the blood constituents, hematocrit was deter- after dosing. However, the albumin treatment
mined in these experiments by the micro- resulted in serum albumin levels about twice
hematocrit method described by Davidsohn as high as those of the controls at the 8-hr.
and Wells (1962) except that the capillary period (0.62 vs. 0.30 g/100 ml), and remained
tubes were filled from the heparinized blood higher after 56 hr. after dosing (1.05 vs. 0.81
samples immediately after withdrawal from g/100 ml).
Unlike albumin, dosing pigs with porcine
the pig. The alpha fraction of the serum proteins was separated into its alpha-1 and alpha- gamma globulin did not increase the serum
2 components. Blood fructose concentrations gamma globulin levels. Other workers have
were determined on the zinc-barium filtrates shown that the newborn pig absorbs oral
obtained for blood glucose determinations ac- gamma globulins unaltered (Payne and Marsh,
cordin~ to the procedure described by Roe 1962; Owen and Bell, 1964). However, these
workers used colostrum-deprived pigs. Thus,
(1934).
Blood constituent data adjusted to a com- the failure of the gamma globulin treatment
mon hematocrit for each bleeding time were to result in increased serum gamma globulin
shown to be unaffected by hematocrit level. levels may be due to insufficient receptors for
Since the adjusted values were not signifi- macromolecular absorption as has been obcantly different from the original values, the served in suckling rats and mice (Brambell,
adjusted values were not used. However, ad- Halliday and Morris, 1958). Pierce and Smith
justing the hemoconcentrations between bleed- (1967) have also reported some interference
ing times to a common hematoerit resulted in
TABLE 1. EFFECT OF ALBUMIN, GAMMA
changes in some of the significant differences.
GLOBULIN AND FRUCTOSE ON BLOOD
Thus, the effects of the hematocrit differences
CONSTITUENTS (8 HR. AFTER
DOSING) AND ON WEIGHT
between the two bleeding times are discussed.
GAINS--EXPERIMENT 1
All the pigs were weighed at birth, 7 days
and when weaned at 35 clays of age.
Treatments
Data from all experiments were subjected to
Gamma
analysis of variance. Newman-Keuls multiple Criteria
Control
Albumin globulin Fructose
range test was used to determine significant Hematocrit, tYo
32.8
33.1
32.9
31.0
FFA,/zEq/1
383
431
336
373
differences between treatment means. Values Plasma
Blood glucose,
m~/100 ml
73.0
77.0
84.8
59.8
for missing data were calculated according to
fructose,
the procedure described for a randomized com- Blood
rag/100, ml
5.14 a
6.07 a
7.24a 115.17 b
serum protein,
plete block experiment (Steel and Torrie, Tcrtal
g/100 mI
5.86
6.32
5.72
5.92
Serum
globulins, g/100 mI
1960).
Gamma
3.00
2.82
2.89
2.88
Results and Discussion
E x p e r i m e n t 1. The effects of porcine albumin, porcine gamma globulin and fructose on
blood constituents 8 hr. after dosing and on
Beta
Alpha-2
Alpha-1
Serum albumin, g/100 ml
Weight gains, k g
0-7 days
0-35 days
1.18
0.87
0.51
0.30
1.26
1.04
0.58
0.62
1.15
0.85
0.57
0.27
1.34
0.89
0.48
0.33
1.12
9.37
1.12
10.42
0.99
8.29
1.06
9.72
a, b Values within rows with different superscripts differ significantly ( P ~ . 0 1 ) .
418
B R U E G G E R AND CONRAD
and selectivity in the absorption of globulins
in the newborn pig,
The only significant effect related to birth
weight was a lower ( P < . 0 5 ) blood fructose
level in pigs of the heavier group compared
with the lighter group at 8 hr. after dosing
(30.33 vs. 36.47 mg/100 ml).
Average concentrations of blood constituents at the two bleeding times are presented
in table 2. Similar values and differences for
the two bleeding times were observed in each
of the three subsequent experiments. Hematocrit, blood fructose, total serum protein,
gamma globulin and beta globulin levels were
significantly higher at the 8-hr. than at the
56-hr. bleeding time. However, Ramirez et al.
(1963) reported an inverse relationship between hematocrit and the blood volume in
pigs. Thus, the lower hematocrit at the 56-hr.
bleeding would indicate a hemodilution.
Hence, this dilution effect could explain the
significantly lower total serum protein and
beta globulin levels and could account for a
part of the decrease in gamma globulin. Adjusting the 56-hr. hemoconcentrations to the
hematocrit of the 8-hr. bleeding (32.4%) results in a total serum protein level of 5.95
g/100 ml and a beta globulin level of 1.19
g/100 ml which are nearly the same as the
8-hr. levels (5.96 and 1.23 g/100 ml, respectively). However, the adjusted gamma globulin level is 2.04 g/100 ml which is still considerably different from the 8-hr. level (2.90
g/100 ml). Thus, the lower gamma globulin
level appears to be a result of catabolism of
the gamma globulins in addition to the dilution effect. Significantly higher levels of FFA,
glucose, alpha-2 globulin and albumin were
observed at the 56-hr. than at the 8-hr. bleeding time. Except for glucose, adjusting the
T A B L E 2. A V E R A G E C O N C E N T R A T I O N S
OF
BLOOD CONSTITUENTS
AT THE TWO
BLEEDING TIMES--EXPERIMENT
1
Bleeding times
Constituents
Hematocrit, %
Plasma FFA, #Eq/1
B l o o d glucose, r a g / 1 0 0 m l
B l o o d fructose, r a g / 1 0 0 m l
T o t a l s e r u m p r o t e i n , g / 1 0 0 ml
S e r u m g a m m a globulin, g / 1 0 0 m l
S e r u m b e t a globulin, g / 1 0 0 m l
S e r u m a l p h a - 2 globulin, g / 1 0 0 m l
S e r u m a l p h a - 1 globulin, g / 1 0 0 m l
Serum albumin, g/100 ml
* Means differ significantly (P<.05).
*~ Means differ significantly (P<.01).
8 hr.
56 hr.
32.4**
381"
73.7**
33.40**
5.96**
2.90**
1.23**
0.91"*
0.53
0.38**
27.1
496
92.0
3.44
5.52
1.89
1.10
1.19
0.51
0.83
TABLE 3. EFFECTS OF FATTY ACIDS ON
BLOOD CONSTITUENTS (8 HR. AFTER
DOSING) AND ON WEIGHT GAINS-EXPERIMENT 2
Treatments
Criteria
Control
Oleic
acid
Methyl
oleate
Combination
Hematocrit, %
32.8
32.6
28.0
34.2
Plasma FFA, ~Eq/1 395
362
413
423
Blood glucose,
mg/100 ml
79.0
80.3
87.7
85.3
Blood fructose,
rag/100 ml
5.50 a
7.00 b, e 5.70 a
6.07 a
Total sermn protein,
g/100 ml
6.18
5.76
6.26
5.94
Serum globulins, g/lg0 ml
Gamma
3.18
2.75
3.28
2.94
Beta
1.i9
1.08
1.16
1.13
Alpha-2
0.94
1.02
0.91
0.95
Alpha-1
0.50
0.59
0.52
0.52
Serum albumin,
g/100 ml
0.37
0.32
0.39
0.40
Weight gains, kg
Birth to T days
1.16c, ~t 1.04a, a 1.47b, e 1.32 e,~
Birth to 35 days
9.17
8.94
9.73
9.51
a, b Values within rows with different superscripts differ significantly (P<.01).
e, a, e Values within rows with different superscripts differ
significantly (P<.05).
concentrations to correct for the lower hematocrit results in even larger differences between the two bleeding times.
E x p e r i m e n t 2. The effects of oleic acid,
methyl oleate and a combination of fatty
acids on blood constituents at 8 hr. after dosing and on weight gains are summarized in
table 3. The oleic acid-treated pigs had higher
( P < . 0 1 ) blood fructose levels than the controls, the methyl oleate-treated pigs and also
( P < . 0 5 ) those treated with the combination
of fatty acids. The oleic acid-treated pigs also
gained less weight than the pigs on the other
treatments. This is in agreement with Pettigrew et al. (1969) who reported a negative
regression of blood fructose levels on weight
gains in neonatal pigs. The treatments resulted
in no other significant effects on the blood
components measured at either bleeding time.
Weight gains to 7 days of age for the methyl
oleate-treated pigs were greater than those of
the controls ( P < . 0 5 ) and the oleic acidtreated ( P < . 0 1 ) pigs. Pigs treated with the
combination had larger ( P < . 0 5 ) gains than
the oleic acid-treated pigs but not significantly greater than the controls. Similar differences were observed at 35 days, but they
were not statistically significant.
The heavier groups of pigs at birth gained
significantly more ( P < . 0 5 ) than the lighter
groups to 7 days of age (1.40 vs. 1.10 kg)
and nonsignificantly more to 35 days (9.68 vs.
8.99 kg).
Three of the pigs died during this experiment, one from the combination treatment
and two from the oleic acid treatment.
419
D I E T AND NEONATAL PIGS
T A B L E 4. E F F E C T S OF M E T H Y L O L E A T E , A L B U M I N A N D LACTOSE ON BLOOD
C O N S T I T U E N T S (8 A N D 56 HR. A F T E R D O S I N G ) A N D ON
WEIGHT GAINS--EXPERIMENT 4
Treatments
Criteria
Hematocrit, %
Plasma FFA, ~ E q / 1
Blood glucose, rag/100 ml
Total serum protein, g/100 ml
Serum globulins, g/100 ml
Gamma
Beta
Alpha-2
Alpha-1
Serum albumin, g/100 ml
8 hr. after dosing
56 hr. after dosing
Weight gains, kg
Birth to 7 days
Birth to 35 days
Control
Methyl
oleate (MO)
Albumin
(A)
32.0
324"
84.3
5.85
34.1
324"
82.7
5.77
32.2
392 c
82.1
6.27
3.03
1.08
1.06
0.50
3.02
1.14
0.98
0.46
0.18 ~
0.55 ~
0.97
7.09
Lactose
(L)
A MO
AMOL
33.5
287 a
87.9
6.00
31.5
492 b'a
82.4
5.78
31.4
333"
84.5
5.82
3.10
1.11
1.04
0.48
3.29
1.17
0.94
0.42
2.65
1.15
0.98
0.50
2.84
1.07
1.09
0.52
0.16"
0.56 a
0.54 b
0.90 b
0.18 ~'
0.51"
0.51 b
0.83 b
0.31 a
0.65"
1.03
7.52
0.95
7.27
0.95
7.53
0.94
7.74
1.08
7.53
a, b Values within rows with different superscripts differ significantly (P<.01).
e, a Values within rows with different superscripts differ significantly (P<.05).
Experiment 3. No significant effects on
blood constituents and weight gains were
noted in response to the dextrose, lactose and
cream treatments. However, at 8 hr. after
dosing, the blood glucose levels of the dextrose
(88.6 rag/100 ml) and of the lactose (101.0
rag/100 ml) treated pigs were considerably
higher than the controls (66.5 rag/100 ml).
Birth weight did not significantly affect
any of the response criteria. One litter was
removed from this experiment due to inflammation of the sow's udder and an accompanying agalactia. As a result, there were only four
pigs per treatment. Also, one of the pigs in
the lactose treatment died prior to the second
bleeding.
Experiment 4. The effects of methyl oleate
(MO), albumin (A), lactose (L), albumin@
methyl oleate (AMO), and albumin@methyl
oleate@lactose (AMOL) on blood constituents at 8 hr. after dosing and on weight gains
are summarized in table 4. The effects on
serum albumin levels at 56 hr. after dosing
are also presented in this table.
The pigs receiving the AMO treatment had
significantly ( P < . 0 1 ) higher plasma FFA
levels than pigs receiving the control, methyl
oleate, lactose and AMOL treatments and significantly ( P < . 0 5 ) higher than pigs receiving
the albumin treatment. The albumin and
AMO treatments resulted in higher ( P < . 0 1 )
serum albumin levels than the other treatments at both 8 and 56 hr. after dosing. Similarly, the AMOL treatment which provided
one-half as much albumin as the other two
albumin treatments resulted in intermediate
serum albumin levels. These results are in
agreement with the previous experiments in
that they indicate the absorption of albumin
intact from the gut.
Treated pigs gained more weight to 35 days
of age than the controls. However, none of
these differences were significant. Variations
between litter means were highly significant
( P ~ . 0 1 ) for weight gains and for each blood
constituent measured at both 8 and 56 hr.
after dosing. In this experiment, six pigs died
prior to 7 clays of age; however, two of these
died subsequent to collection of blood by vena
cava puncture. A seventh pig died prior to the
35-day weighing.
Summary
Four experiments were conducted to study
the effect of the oral administration of various
compounds during the first 12 hr. of age on
blood constituents, survival and weight gains
of neonatal pigs. Dosing with porcine albumin
resulted in significantly higher serum albumin
levels at both 8 and 56 hr. afterwards;
whereas, porcine gamma globulin had no effect
on serum levels. Oral fructose significantly increased blood fructose levels but did not affect
weight gains to 7 days of age. There was no
measurable effect of methyl oleate on blood
constituents, but gain to 7 days was significantly greater than that of controls and also
significantly greater than for the methyl oleate
treatment, while gain to 35 days was nonsignificantly greater. Plasma FFA were significantly higher in the albumin-methyl oleate
treated pigs 8 hr. after dosing.
420
BRUEGGER
B i r t h w e i g h t h a d l i t t l e effect o n t h e b l o o d
c o n s t i t u e n t s m e a s u r e d e x c e p t for a signific a n t l y lower b l o o d f r u c t o s e level i n e x p e r i m e n t 1 in t h e h e a v i e r g r o u p of pigs. T h e
h e a v i e r pigs also g a i n e d s i g n i f i c a n t l y m o r e
w e i g h t t h a n t h e l i g h t e r pigs to 7 d a y s in
e x p e r i m e n t 2.
Significantly higher hematocrit, blood fructose, t o t a l s e r u m p r o t e i n a n d g a m m a g l o b u l i n
levels were n o t e d a t 8 hr. a f t e r d o s i n g t h a n a t
56 h r . ; w h e r e a s , s e r u m a l b u m i n a n d a l p h a - 2
g l o b u l i n levels w e r e s i g n i f i c a n t l y h i g h e r a t t h e
56-hr. b l e e d i n g .
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