Neonatal oxytocin administration and supplemental milk ameliorate the weaning transition and alter hormonal expression in the gastrointestinal tract in pigs

作者：Rault J L; Ferrari J; Pluske J R; Dunshea F R^*

来源：Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 2015, 51: 19-26.

DOI：10.1016/j.domaniend.2014.11.001

• Ghrelin
• GLP
• Gut health
• Leptin
• Stress
• Sus scrofa

The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of milk supplementation during lactation, over 1 wk after weaning, and oxytocin administration for the first 14 d of life on the pigs' response to weaning. Pigs from 20 litters were allocated to each of these 3 treatments in a randomized factorial design. Oxytocin was administered subcutaneously daily from 0 to 14 d of age at a rate of 10 I.U. per kg. The milk supplement consisted of a mixture of 25% skim milk powder offered either during lactation between 10 and 20 d of age or for the first week after weaning as a transitional diet along with dry pellets. Pigs were weaned at 21 d of age. Growth rate was measured from birth to slaughter at 140 d of age and feed intake of supplemental milk or feed from 10 to 56 d of age. Organ weights (heart, liver, stomach, and kidneys) and the gene expression of ghrelin, leptin, and glucagon-like peptides (glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucagon-like peptide-2) were measured in the stomach, ileum, and duodenum at 10, 21, and 28 d of age. Milk supplementation after weaning resulted in immediate feed intake and partially alleviated the depression in growth rate over the first 7 d postweaning (P < 0.001), but milk supplementation during lactation had no effects (P > 0.1). However, effects were only transient and disappeared once the milk liquid diet was removed. Neonatal oxytocin administration reduced weight loss over the first 2 d after weaning (P = 0.03), without affecting feed intake (P > 0.1), hence possibly reducing weaning stress. Seven days after weaning, oxytocin-treated pigs had greater stomach ghrelin and leptin expression (both P = 0.02), and pigs supplemented with milk after weaning had greater stomach leptin and glucagon-like peptide-2 expression (P = 0.02 and P = 0.05, respectively). Hence, neonatal oxytocin administration or postweaning milk supplementation are both effective means of enhancing gastric leptin expression and reducing weight loss at weaning, likely improving gut health during this critical period.

• 出版日期2015-4