• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.862-867
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• 1999

The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of administration of exogenous progesterone early in gestation on uterine levels of IGF-I mRNA and on embryo survival at day 25 of gestation in the pig. Forty-one prepubertal gilts were induced into oestrus with PG600 and artificially inseminated at their subsequent naturally occurring oestrus. Gilts were then randomly assigned to one of three groups. Gilts in the two treatment groups were injected intramuscularly with 50 mg of progesterone either from day 2 to 14 (N=14) or from day 4 to 14 (N=15) after breeding while those in the control group (N=12) were given corn oil (0.5 ml) from day 2 to 14. Between days 25 and 28 of gestation, gilts were slaughtered and reproductive tracts were recovered. Endometrial tissue (1 g) was collected and analysed for IGF-I mRNA levels using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Progesterone treatment, starting either on day 2 or 4 after breeding, neither significantly increased embryo survival rate by day 25 of gestation nor altered IGF-I mRNA levels in uterine tissue. However, across all samples, the IGF-I mRNA level in the uterus was highly correlated with embryo survival rate (r=0.8193, p<0.01), supporting the involvement of IGF-I in the regulation of porcine embryo development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 1999

Effects of host immunization on bacterial translocation and growth performance in weanling piglets were studied. Twenty four barrows were assigned to one of two immunization treatments: Control group (CON: immunized with placebo) or Immunization group [IMMU: immunized with Antigen cocktail; Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), Ovalbumin (OA), and Tetanus toxoid (TT)]. On d0, piglets were weaned and intramuscularly immunized with 2 ml of placebo or Antigen cocktail, respectively. Antigen-specific Ig titers were determined by ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay). Ig titers to E. coli-derived lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were measured as the indicator of bacterial translocation. Ig titers to LPS were higher (p<0.10, 0.05 or 0.01) in CON group before immunization (d0), but the difference disappeared with time and IgA titers to LPS became higher (p<0.05) in IMMU group on d39. In IMMU group, IgG titers to LPS from d28 onwards showed positive correlations (p<0.10, 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001) with IgG titers to KLH from d11 onwards and with IgM titers to KLH from d7 onwards. Generally, growth performance was negatively related to IgG titers to LPS. Average daily gain for d28 to d35 showed negative correlations (p<0.10, 0.05, or 0.01) with IgG titers to LPS on d28 onwards in immunization group. These results reveal some evidences that host immunization might facilitate bacterial translocation and high humoral immune responses to LPS are negatively related with the growth performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.197-202
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• 1999

Three barrows weighing 45.0 kg, fitted with simple T-cannulas in both the duodenum and terminal ileum, were assigned to diets in a $3{\times}3$ Latin Square design experiment to determine the effect of two calcium levels (0.8% vs 0.4%) on phytase activity and nutrient balance in growing pigs. The control diet contained 0.8% calcium, with no added inorganic phosphorus (0.45% total phosphorus) and no added phytase. The two additional experimental diets contained microbial phytase (750 phytase units/kg) and supplied either 0.8% or 0.4% calcium. With added microbial phytase, ileal and total tract digestibility of rotal phosphorus were improved by 20.9 and 13.8 percentage units, respectively (p=0.01). The apparent duodenal and ileal digestibility of phytate phosphorus were increased by 51.8 and 49.7 percentage units (p=0.01). Lowering dietary calcium in the presence of microbial phytase increased the digestibility of phytate phosphorus by an additional 10.9 (p=0.001) and 5.7 percentage units for duodenal and ileal digestibility, respectively. Supplementation with microbial phytase significantly reduced fecal excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus and increased the percentage of these nutrients retained by the pig. Lowering dietary calcium further increased the percentage of dietary phosphorus retained. Overall, reducing dietary calcium appeared to increase the effectiveness of added microbial phytase in degrading phytate phosphorus. As a result, care should be taken to avoid high levels of dietary calcium when supplementing swine diets with microbial phytase.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.872-876
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to evaluate Biocom (a protein source containing a high level of glutamine and alanyl-glutamine) as a replacement for glutamine (Gln) in nursery pig diets. Forty-two pigs (fourteen pigs per treatment) weaned at 28 d of age were used in a 28-d performance trial using three dietary treatments: control (no Gln), control supplemented with Gln or Biocom. The control diet was composed of corn, soybean meal, whey and fish meal. Individual body weight, pen feed disappearance and diarrhea were monitored. On d 0, 2, 7 and 14 postweaning, respectively, five pigs per treatment were selected and bled from the anterior vena cava to obtain five replicate samples of blood on each dietary treatment for determination of blood biochemical index. Dietary supplementation of Gln and Biocom did not influence performance, plasma Gln and total serum protein concentration (p>0.05). However, the addition of Gln and Biocom could prevent serum urea nitrogen and serum cortisol from increasing on d 2 postweaning (p<0.05). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in any of the examined parameters between Gln- and Biocom-supplemented diets. In conclusion, dietary Gln did not influence the performance of early-weaned piglets owing to the complex diet containing whey, but could prevent the increase of serum urea and cortisol. Biocom could be used as a replacement for free pure Gln without any negative effect on early-weaned piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.122-133
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• 1997

Purified diets containing 5 graded levels of threonine were fed to young, growing and finishing pigs to determine the threonine requirement for growth and maintenance. A model was developed to subdivide the threonine requirement for the maintenance from the requirement for growth. From this model, the threonine requirement for growth was 7.733, 10.968 and 11.235 g/kg live weight gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.118, 0.048 and 0.024 g per unit of metabolic body size at each stage of growth, respectively. In the young pigs, the threonine requirement for growth was 0.388 g/g N gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.122 g per unit of metabolic body size. The breakpoint of plasma threonine concentrations was 3.995, 7.933 and 7.738 g/d, respectively. Expected requirements obtained from these formulae were in general agreement with previous estimates. Based on the weight gain vs N gain equation, about 4.24% of the retained protein was comprised of threonine and compared to 3.81%, the mean threonine content of pig muscle CP.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.86-97
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• 1997

Purified diets containing 5 graded levels of methionine + cystine were fed to young, growing and finishing pigs to determine the methionine + cystine requirement for growth and maintenance. A model was developed to subdivide the methionine + cystine requirement for maintenance from requirement for growth. From this model, the methionine + cystine requirement for growth was 8.633, 10.260 and 9.293 g/kg live weight gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.049, 0.016 and 0.019 g per unit of metabolic body size at each stage of growth, respectively. In the young pigs, the methionine + cystine requirement for growth was 0.491 g/g N gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.059 g per unit of metabolic body size. The breakpoint of plasma methionine + cystine concentrations was 3.888, 6.935 and 8.116 g/d, respectively. Expected requirements obtained from these formulae were in general agreement with previous estimates. Based on the weight gain vs N gain equation, about 4.44% of the retained protein was comprised of methionine + cystine and compared to 3.31%, the mean methionine + cystine content of pig muscle CP.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.54-63
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• 1997

Purified diets containing 5 graded levels of lysine were fed to young and growing pigs to determine the lysine requirement for growth and maintenance. A model was developed to subdivide the lysine requirement for the maintenance from requirement for growth. From this model, the lysine requirement for growth was 18.018 and 19.431 g/kg live weight gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.115 and 0.033 g per unit of metabolic body size at each stage of growth, respectively. In the young pigs, the lysine requirement for growth was 0.950 g/g N gain and the maintenance requirement was 0.114 g per unit of metabolic body size. The breakpoint of plasma lysine concentrations was 8.695 and 13.464 g/d, respectively. Expected requirements obtained from these formulae were in general agreement with previous estimates. Based on weight gain vs N gain equation, about 7.92% of the retained protein was comprised of lysine as compared to 7.11%, the mean lysine content of pig muscle CP.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.686-690
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• 2015

The adrenergic receptor beta 2 (ADRB2) plays a role in various physiological responses of the muscle to exercise, such as contraction and relaxation. Given its important role in muscle function, we investigated the structure of the horse ADRB2 gene and its expression pattern after exercise to determine if it can serve as a putative biomarker for recovery. Evolutionary analyses using synonymous and non-synonymous mutation ratios, were compared with other species (human, chimpanzee, mouse, rat, cow, pig, chicken, dog, and cat), and revealed the occurrence of positive selection in the horse ADRB2 gene. In addition, expression analyses by quantitative polymerase chain reaction exhibited ubiquitous distribution of horse ADRB2 in various tissues including lung, skeletal muscle, kidney, thyroid, appendix, colon, spinal cord and heart, with the highest expression observed in the lung. The expression of ADRB2 in skeletal muscle was significantly up-regulated about four folds 30 minutes post-exercise compared to pre-exercise. The expression level of ADRB2 in leukocytes, which could be collected with convenience compared with other tissues in horse, increased until 60 min after exercise but decreased afterward until 120 min, suggesting the ADRB2 expression levels in leukocytes could be a useful biomarker to check the early recovery status of horse after exercise. In conclusion, we identified horse ADRB2 gene and analyzed expression profiles in various tissues. Additionally, analysis of ADBR2 gene expression in leukocytes could be a useful biomarker useful for evaluation of early recovery status after exercise in racing horses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Chinese medicine granule (CMG, including Cortex Phellodendron, Atractylodes Rhizome, Agastache Rugosa and Gypsum Fibrosum) on absorption and transport of glucose in porcine small intestinal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) under heat stress. Forty-eight 2-month-old Chinese experimental barrows were screened according to weight and litter origin, and then allotted to three groups and treated as follows: Normal temperature control group (NTCG; $23^{\circ}C$), high temperature control group (HTCG; $26^{\circ}C$ for 19 h, $40^{\circ}C$ for 5 h); Chinese medicine granule anti-stress group (CMGG; $26^{\circ}C$ for 19 h, $40^{\circ}C$ for 5 h) (n = 16 per group). The results showed that high temperature treatment decreased (p<0.05) the growth performance and intestinal glucose absorption but there was no change (p>0.05) in the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 genes in the small intestine of pigs compared with the NTCG. Dietary supplementation with CMG improved the growth performance, and increased the activity of disaccharidases in duodenum and jejunum of heat stressed pigs (p<0.05). CMG treatment increased (p<0.05) the protein levels of SGLT1 and GLUT2 in the small intestine, and up-regulated (p<0.05) the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 genes in the duodenum and jejunum but without changing (p>0.05) them in the ileum compared with the HTCG. These results indicated that CMG treatment significantly improved porcine growth performance, and increased intestinal glucose absorption and transport by BBMVs under heat stress, in addition to up-regulating the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 genes in porcine duodenum and jejunum.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.1763-1769
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of L-carnitine on the pig semen characteristics during storage. Methods: Spermatozoa samples were examined for spermatozoa quality and then randomly divided into 5 groups: 0 (control), 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM L-carnitine. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and antioxidant parameters (total reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde) were evaluated after 0, 3, 5, and 10 day cooled-storage at 17℃. Moreover, ATP content, mitochondria activity as well as sperm-binding and in vitro fertilizing ability of preserved boar sperm were also investigated. Results: Supplementation with 50 mM L-carnitine could effectively maintain boar sperm quality parameters such as sperm motility and membrane integrity. Besides, we found that L-carnitine had positive effects on boar sperm quality mainly through improving antioxidant capacities and enhancing ATP content and mitochondria activity. Interestingly, by assessing the effect of L-carnitine on sperm fertility and developmental potential, we discovered that the extender containing L-carnitine could improve sperm quality and increase the number of sperms bounding to zona pellucida, without improving in vitro fertility and development potential. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the proper addition of L-carnitine to the semen extender improved boar sperm quality during liquid storage at 17℃.