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Response of Digestive Carbohydrases and Growth to Graded Doses and Administration Frequency of Hydrocortisone and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone in Nursing Piglets

University of Illinois^,4, Urbana 61801

Abstract

Graded levels of hydrocortisone 21-acetate (HYD) (0, 18, 16 and 24 mg/kg BW) were injected into nursing piglets every other day (Exp. 1) or 24 mg of HYD/kg BW was administered 0, 2, 4 or 6 times during the treatment period (12 d) with equal time (6 d, 3 d or 2 d) between subsequent injections (Exp. 2). Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was injected to provide 0, 5, 10 or 15 IU/kg BW (Exp. 3), or 15 IU ACTH/kg BW was injected 0, 1, 2 or 3 times (Exp. 4). The injection treatment periods were from d 14 to d 26 postpartum. Pancreatic and intestinal amylase activity was maximized by the highest dosage of HYD (24 mg) and ACTH (15 IU) when given at 2- or 4-d intervals, respectively (P < .10). However, four injections of HYD administered 3 d apart optimized the activity of this enzyme in Exp. 2 (P < .05). Intestinal sucrase and maltase were unresponsive to ACTH regardless of dosage or injection frequency (P > .10). The response of these two enzymes to HYD was inconsistent. Maltase activity was elevated (P < .10) by the two most frequent injection treatments, and sucrase activity was simultaneously depressed. Lactase activity tended (P < .15) to be depressed by the highest treatment level in all four experiments. Both dosage and frequency methods of increasing HYD administration resulted in hepatic and pancreatic hypertrophy. Organ weights were similar for all ACTH treatments. Postweaning body weights were depressed linearly (P < .08) as dosage or frequency of HYD administration increased but were not related to ACTH dosage. Any beneficial effects on the digestive capacity of piglets as a result of HYD treatment were offset by depressed growth, with the possible exception of intermediate administration levels with prolonged intervals between injections.

¹ Current address: Monogastric Res. Dept., Purina Mills, Inc., 1401 S. Hanley, St. Louis, MO 63144.

² Current address: Centro National de Investigaciones en Alimentacion y Nutrition Fisiologia, Institute National de Forestals, Agricolas y Pecuarias, Apartado Postal 29A, Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico 76020.

³ To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

⁴ Dept. of Anim. Sci. The assistance of Scott Williamson, Howard Cook, Steve Heffeman and Dale Alexander with diet preparation and animal care is gratefully acknowledged.