Responses to maternal GH or ractopamine during early-mid pregnancy are similar in primiparous and multiparous pregnant pigs

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dc.contributor.authorGatford, K.
dc.contributor.authorDe Blasio, M.
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, C.
dc.contributor.authorNottle, M.
dc.contributor.authorKind, K.
dc.contributor.authorVan Wettere, W.
dc.contributor.authorSmits, R.
dc.contributor.authorOwens, J.
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractFetal growth is restricted in primiparous pigs (gilts) compared with dams who have had previous pregnancies (sows), as in other species. In gilts, daily maternal porcine GH (pGH) injections from day 25 to 50 of pregnancy (term ~115 day) increase fetal growth and progeny muscularity, and responses in sows are unknown. Whether feeding the β2-adrenergic agonist ractopamine during this period increases progeny growth rates in either parity and fetal responses in gilts, have not been investigated. We hypothesised that fetal and placental growth and fetal muscle development would be increased more by maternal pGH and/or ractopamine during early–mid pregnancy in gilts than sows, since fetal growth is restricted in gilts causing lower birth weights. Large WhitexLandrace gilts and sows were injected daily with water (controls) or pGH (~15 µg/kg per day), or were fed 20 ppm ractopamine, between day 25 and 50 of pregnancy. Maternal pGH increased litter average fetal weight (11%, P=0.007) and length (3%, P=0.022), but not placental weight, at day 50 of pregnancy, irrespective of parity, and had the greatest effects in the heaviest fetuses of each litter. Maternal ractopamine increased average fetal weight (9%, P=0.018), but not length. Muscle fiber diameter was increased by pGH in heavy littermates and by ractopamine in median littermates. Similar fetal growth responses to pGH and ractopamine in gilts and sows suggest that these hormones increase fetal nutrient availability similarly in both parities. We therefore predict that sustained pGH treatment will increase progeny birth weight, postnatal growth and survival, in both sows and gilts.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityKathryn L. Gatford, Miles J. De Blasio, Claire T. Roberts, Mark B. Nottle, Karen L. Kind, William H. E. J. van Wettere, Robert J. Smits and Julie A. Owens
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Endocrinology, 2009; 203(1):143-154
dc.identifier.doi10.1677/JOE-09-0131
dc.identifier.issn0022-0795
dc.identifier.issn1479-6805
dc.identifier.orcidGatford, K. [0000-0002-2823-3004]
dc.identifier.orcidRoberts, C. [0000-0002-9250-2192]
dc.identifier.orcidNottle, M. [0000-0001-7625-5542]
dc.identifier.orcidVan Wettere, W. [0000-0001-8176-4122]
dc.identifier.orcidOwens, J. [0000-0002-7498-1353]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/54924
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSoc Endocrinology
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1677/joe-09-0131
dc.subjectFetal Blood
dc.subjectPlacenta
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectSwine
dc.subjectBody Weight
dc.subjectPhenethylamines
dc.subjectGrowth Hormone
dc.subjectBlood Glucose
dc.subjectAdrenergic beta-Agonists
dc.subjectParity
dc.subjectFetal Development
dc.subjectMuscle Development
dc.subjectOvulation
dc.subjectPregnancy
dc.subjectPlacentation
dc.subjectLitter Size
dc.subjectFemale
dc.titleResponses to maternal GH or ractopamine during early-mid pregnancy are similar in primiparous and multiparous pregnant pigs
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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