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Relationship of Estrone and Prolactin with Growth and Survival of Piglets to 35 d of Age^1,2,

The Pennsylvania State University⁵ University Park 16802

Abstract

The relationship between estrogen or prolactin (Prl) status of pigs at birth and subsequent performance was examined in ten (Study 1) or seven (Study II) Yorkshire litters. In both studies, piglets were bled (3 ml) from the suborbital sinus at birth, and then hourly for 12 h. Hematocrit (Hct) and concentrations of plasma protein (PP) and estrone (E1) were determined on all samples. Concentrations of Prl were determined only in samples at birth. Weights at 3 and 5 wk of age as well as percent survival to 5 wk were obtained. Mean concentrations of E1 and Prl in piglets at birth were 6.97 ± .44 ng/ml and 9.12 ± .32 ng/ml, respectively. A decrease in E1 occurred over the first few hours after birth. Hematocrit values also decreased postnatally, whereas concentrations of PP increased. Sex of neonate did not affect any of the blood characteristics studied. Correlations between E1, PP, Hct and Prl at birth and body weights at birth, 3 and 5 wk were nonsignificant. However, piglets with higher Prl values at birth showed a greater survival rate. In Study II, half of the piglets in each litter were implanted at birth with silicone rubber implants containing estradiols-17β. Estrone concentrations were significantly higher in implanted piglets than in controls over the subsequent 12-h period, but Hct and PP values were not affected by treatment, suggesting that treated piglets did not consume more colostrum. Dam had a much greater influence than implants on concentration of E1 in piglets. Weights at 3 and 5 wk of age were not significantly different between implanted and non-implanted piglets, but percent survival was greater (P<.05) for untreated piglets. Estradiol (E2) implants inserted at birth apparently do not improve growth performance of piglets to weaning and the extra stress from implanting, or the chronic elevation of estrogens in plasma, may have had a negative impact on survival.

¹ Paper no. 7573 in the Journal Series of the Pennsylvania Agric. Exp. Sta. Portions of this material were presented at the Am. Soc. Anim. Sci. 78th Annu. Meet, Manhattan, KS.

² The authors express appreciation to Dr. H. D. Guthrie, Beltsville Agric. Res. Center, Beltsville, MD for supplying the WII BARC No. 4. El antiserum and to the National Pituitary Agency of NIADDK, USDA Hormone Dist. Prog., Beltsville, MD for supplying the USDA-pPRL-I-1 and USDA-pPRL-B-1. The assistance of S. Sladden and fellow graduate students for blood sampling, and of D. Fetterolf and R. Grabill for animal care as well as statistical help from J. Derr is greatfully acknowledged.

³ Under educational leave from the Canadian Government, Dept. of Agric., Agric. Res. Sta., Lennoxville, Quebec. Present address: Research Station, Agriculture Canada, C.P. 90, Lennoxville, Quebec J1M-1Z3.

⁴ Address reprint requests to Dr. Farmer.

⁵ Dept. of Dairy and Anim. Sci.