• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.333-339
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• 2011

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of pre- and post-weaning feeding programs on growth of pigs. A total of 24 litters (avg. 10.6 piglets/litter) born from multiparous (Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace) dams ${\times}$ Duroc sires were provided with neither creep feed (CF) nor milk replacer ("CON"), 200 gm CF/litter/d from the 15th day of lactation ("MIN"), or CF and milk replacer ad libitum for 7 h during the daytime from the 7th day ("MAX") through weaning at d 21 of age. Sixty-eight weanling pigs selected randomly from each of CON and MIN were provided with phases 1, 2 and 3 nursery diets for 7, 14, and 13 days, respectively, in two pens; an equal number of piglets from MAX received the same diets for 6, 10, and 18 days, respectively. Subsequently, all pigs were fed grower 1 and 2 diets sequentially up to d 95 and 135, respectively. The entire pre- and post-weaning feeding trial was repeated three times under a split-plot design of experiment. Initial and final weights and ADG of the suckling pigs did not differ between MAX/MIN and CON. However, final wt of MAX adjusted for initial wt, which was 0.17-kg less in MAX than in CON, was greater than that of CON by 0.31kg, whereas the difference between MIN and CON in final wt barely changed after the adjustment. Growth of the animals during the nursery and growing phases was not affected by the feeding program, whereas d 55 and 135 BW, as well as d 6 BW, were highly correlated with weaning weight (r=0.81, 0.57, and 0.76; P<0.001, <0.05, and <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, results suggest that provision of creep feed and milk replacer from early lactation may be effective for increasing weight gain of light piglets, but that limited provision of creep feed during late lactation or extension of the duration of phases 1 and 2 vs. 3 nursery diets for several days is unlikely to influence the growth of pigs during the corresponding and subsequent periods.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.72-79
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• 2016

It has long been known that nutritional and environmental influences during the early developmental period affect the biological mechanisms which determine animal metabolism. This phenomenon, termed 'metabolic imprinting', can cause subtle but long-lasting responses to prenatal and postnatal nutrition and even be passed onto the next generation. A large amount of research data shows that nutrient availability, in terms of quantity as well as quality, during the early developing stages can decrease the number of newborn piglets and their body weight and increase their susceptibility to death before weaning. However, investigation of potential mechanisms of 'the metabolic imprinting' effect have been scant. Therefore, it remains unknown which factors are responsible for embryonic and early postnatal nutrition and which factors are major determinants of body weight and number of new born piglets. Intrauterine undernutrition, for example, was studied using a rat model providing dams 50% restricted nutrients during pregnancy and the results showed significant decreases in birth weight of newborns. This response may be a characteristic of a subset of modulations in embryonic development which is caused by the metabolic imprinting. Underlying mechanisms of intrauterine undernutrition and growth retardation can be explained in part by epigenetics. Epigenetics modulate animal phenotypes without changes in DNA sequences. Epigenetic modifications include DNA methylation, chromatin modification and small non-coding RNA-associated gene silencing. Precise mechanisms must be identified at the morphologic, cellular, and molecular levels by using interdisciplinary nutrigenomics approaches to increase pig production. Experimental approaches for explaining these potential mechanisms will be discussed in this review.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 1997

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of protein levels and casein/whey ratios on organ growth and protein metabolism in early weaned rats. Premature rats weaned by the 17th day were fed six semipurified synthetic, isocaloric and gel diets that contained three levels (low, medium and high) and two different combinations(casein/whey ; 80 : 20 or 20 : 80) of milk protein for 8 days. On the 25th day postpartum, frest weigth and DNA, RNA and milk protein contents in brain, liver, kidney and muscle were determined to ascertain organ and cellular growth. Futher, with a view to ascertain protein metabolism and renal functions, serum total protein, $\alpha$-amino N, urea N, and creatinine and creatinine and urinary urea N, creatinine and hydroxproline were determined. Total DNA contents of brain, liver and kidney, which may represent as an index of cell numbers in those organs were significantly decreased in the rats fed diets containing low level protein regardless of casein/whey ratio. However, as fat as the rats fed high protein diets were concerned, their fresh weight, protein contents and GFR of kidney were significantly increased. Furthermore, nitrogen components, $\alpha$-amino N, urea N and creatinie in serum and urine were also increassed. Another observation was that high casein/whey ratio significantly facilitated accumulation of porteins in muscle and kidney and urinary hydorxyproline excretion, not affecting the DNA content of those organs. This study showed that low(8%) or high(32%) contents of protein had less desirable effects either on protein metabolism or on organ cellular growth in prematurely weaned rats, whereas there were no effects on general growth and bone strength.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.777-785
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• 2010

The effect of two doses of different sources of zinc, inorganic (zinc oxide) or chelated (zinc glutamate chelate), on morphology and turn-over of the small intestine was assessed in early-weaned pigs orally challenged with enterotoxigenic E. coli K88 (ETEC). Sixty pigs weaned at 21 days were assigned to one of the following 5 diets: control (C); C+Zinc oxide (ZnO), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose; or C+zinc chelate with glutamic acid (Glu-Zn), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose. On d 2, the pigs were orally inoculated with 1.5 ml of a $10^{10}$ CFU/ml E. coli K88ac O148 suspension. Zinc supplements did not improve the performance of the pigs, but on d 5 faecal excretion of ETEC was reduced, and this was mainly due to high zinc doses (p<0.05). The villous height in the duodenum was improved by the zinc supplements (p<0.01) whatever the source and the level, whereas no effect was seen in the other two tracts of small intestine. The diet did not affect apoptosis and mitosis counts, while ETEC-susceptible pigs had more mitotic cells in the villi than non-susceptible pigs, particularly in the jejunum (p<0.01). The duodenum had fewer mitotic cells in the villi (p<0.05) and in the crypts (p<0.01) and more apoptotic cells in the villi. High dietary doses of ZnO or Zn-Glutamate improve villous height of the duodenum, but not of the jejunum and the ileum, and do not affect the epithelial proliferative activity and apoptotic index of intestinal mucosa of early-weaned pigs orally challenged with ETEC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 2018

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of different levels of protein concentrate supplementation on the growth performance of yak calves, and correlated the growth rate to changes occurring in the plasma- amino acids, -insulin profile, and signaling activity of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cascade to characterize the mechanism through which the protein synthesis can be improved in early weaned yaks. Methods: For this study, 48 early (3 months old) weaned yak calves were selected, and assigned into four dietary treatments according to randomized complete block design. The four blocks were balanced for body weight and sex. The yaks were either grazed on natural pasture (control diet) in a single herd or the grazing yaks was supplemented with one of the three protein rich supplements containing low (17%; LP), medium (19%; MP), or high (21%; HP) levels of crude proteins for a period of 30 days. Results: Results showed that the average daily gain of calves increased (0.14 vs 0.23-0.26 kg; p<0.05) with protein concentrates supplementation. The concentration of plasma methionine increased (p<0.05; 8.6 vs $10.1-12.4{\mu}mol/L$), while those of serine and tyrosine did not change (p>0.05) when the grazing calves were supplemented with protein concentrates. Compared to control diet, the insulin level of calves increased (p<0.05; 1.86 vs $2.16-2.54{\mu}IU/mL$) with supplementation of protein concentrates. Addition of protein concentrates up-regulated (p<0.05) expression of mTOR-raptor, mammalian vacuolar protein sorting 34 homolog, the translational regulators eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1, and S6 kinase 1 genes in both Longissimus dorsi and semitendinosus. In contrast, the expression of sequestosome 1 was down-regulated in the concentrate supplemented calves. Conclusion: Our results show that protein supplementation improves the growth performance of early weaned yak calves, and that plasma methionine and insulin concentrations were the key mediator for gene expression and protein deposition in the muscles.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 1999

This experiment was conducted to investigate how the lactation regulation such as restricted-lactation and early weaning during the suckling period influences on ovarian functions and change in serum levels of progesterone in primiparous rats. All the rats were raised in the individual cage from a few days before parturition through the suckling period. The normal lactation(NL) groups were controled 8 pups. The restricted-lactation(RL) and weaned(W) groups were subdivided into 5 subgroups as RL0, RL5, RL10, RL15 and RL20 as well as W0, W5, W10, W15, and W20 according to the day of onset of suckling. The number of pups were regulated from 8 to 4 on experimental strating day in RL gropus, and also perfectly weaned on the each on-set day in W groups. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. During the whole suckling period of 25 days the pups in RL group grew significantly(P＜005) faster than those in normal-lactation(NL) group. The pups in earlier RL group grew significantly(P＜0.05) faster than those in later RL rats, and there was no found any significant difference in body weight of pups between RL20 and NL group. The gestation period and litter size were found to be 21.53$\pm$0.04 days and 13.75$\pm$0.07, respectively. 2. The estrous cycle was not expressed in the NL group through the whole suckling period. An irregular estrous cycle was found around day 20 in RL0 group, and the regular estrous cycles were exhibited continuously from day 10 in the day 0 weaned rats. 3. In the rats of NL group the serum progesterone concentration increased from 33.16$\pm$2.64ng/$m\ell$ on day 0 to 122.5$\pm$53.68 ng/$m\ell$ on day 10, and then decreased slightly to 97.30$\pm$3.21 ng/$m\ell$ on day 20, but then decreased abruptly. However, the serum level of progesterone decreased greatly(P＜0.05) in 5 to 10 days following suckling restriction in the rats from which suckling began to be under restriction on day 0 or day 15. In the early weaning group the significant ( (P＜0.05) decrease in progesterone concentration was found similarly in 48 hours following weaning in all the rats weaned on day 0 through day 20. It was suggested that lactation stimulation is a very pivotal on the function of ovary.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2001

This study was conducted to develope an automatic liquid feeder for early weaning piglets and to test the efficacy of the system. The liquid feeder consists of water heating and discharge unit, dry diet storing and discharge unit, mixing and discharge unit, mixed liquid feed-delivering unit, and the central control part which control each unit, feeding frequency and the amount of feeding. For investigating the possibility of practical use, a feeding trial was carried out using eighteen three way crossbred piglets weaned on 19 days of age for the experimental period of six weeks. Experimental diet was provided in liquid form using the automatic liquid feeder for the first three weeks and in dry form for the later three weeks. The water heating and discharge unit exactly supplied warm water by 27 $m\ell$/s, into the mixing unit. The dry diet storing and discharge unit supplied dry feed by 3.7g/s, into the mixing unit. Being compared with the standard growth rate suggested by NRC, average daily gain of the piglets during the first three weeks of liquid feeding was lower by 10%, while it was higher during three weeks of dry feeding and over the whole experimental period by 24 and 17%, respectively. Feed/gain was 1.09, 2.14 and 1.89 for the first 3 weeks, later 3 weeks, and whole period, respectively. Diarrhea was observed for three days from day 3 to day 7 after feeding liquid diet, but no pig died of it. In conclusion, a preliminary test for the newly developed an automatic liquid feeder using 19 days of age weaning piglets showed that the unit was successfully operated without any major problems. Piglets raised on a liquid diet through the unit developed grew less during the first three weeks, but their growth and feed intake were greatly improved thereafter, indicating the developed automatic liquid feeder may be practically used in swine industry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.287-294
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• 1999

Vitamin and mineral deletion from swine diets can result in reduced growth if done during the period wher muscle and bone development is occurring. Several of the vitamins and minerals decline in the serum during the starter period, suggesting a higher dietary inclusion may be necessary postweaning. Vitamin research with grower-finisher pigs is limited, but results suggest that rapidly growing lean pigs may have a higher dietary requirement for the B vitamins. Several studies have suggested that early weaning and pigs of a lean genotype may have a dietary requirement for vitamin C, CI and Cr. High dietary vitamin E levels are fortified in the diet and seems to be effective in preventing mulberry heart problems in weanling and grower pigs. Organic Se is more effectively retained in muscle tissue than inorganic Se, approximately 20% less is excreted, but the bioavailability of organic Se for glutathione peroxidase activity is only 80 to 90% to that of sodium selenite. The active form of thyroxine (T4) is dependent upon a Se containing enzyme. Withdrawal of vitamins and minerals during the latter part of the finisher period has not affected pig performance responses, but studies with poultry suggest that the vitamin content of the meat may be reduced if the vitamins are withdrawn prior to marketing. High levels of vitamin E have been shown to improve pork quality, by reducing drip loss. Studies with vitamin C and Se have suggested that they may also be involved in pork quality.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.242-250
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to characterize the prenatal and postnatal development of the mouse parotid salivary gland and tooth, and to investigate the relationship between the developmental timing of the two organs. Development of parotid salivary gland begins on embryonic day 15 (E15), which is the prebud stage; E17 is the initial bud stage; E21 to postnatal day 3 (PN3) is the pseudoglandular stage; PN5 to PN10 is the canalicular stage; and PN21 is the terminal bud stage. At E15, the developing maxillary molar tissue is at the bud stage; at E17, it is at the cap stage; at E21, it is at the early bell stage; PN3 to PN5 comprises the advanced bell stage; at PN10, it is at the crown stage; at PN21, it is at the functional stage. Therefore, unlike the other major salivary glands, the development of mouse parotid salivary gland is completed through a process of prenatal and postnatal morphogenesis and becomes functional at about the same time as the developing tooth. The developmental completion times of the parotid salivary gland and tooth are closely related to the weaning time of animal.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.65-68
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• 2014

Congenital duodenal obstruction is a one of the emergent surgical conditions in neonates. Almost of them were diagnosed with double-bubble sign in prenatal ultrasonography. However, partial obstruction caused from duodenal web could be overlooked. We reported a duodenal web in early childhood. A three-year-old girl visited at our pediatric clinic for constipation. She had been showed non-bilious vomiting after weaning meal since 6 months old of her age, but her weight was relevant for 50-75 percentile of growth curve. Barium enema was initially checked, but any abnormal finding was not found. We noticed the severely distended stomach and 1st portion of duodenum. Upper gastrointestinal series revealed partial obstruction in 2nd portion of duodenum. After laparotomy, we found the transitional zone of duodenum and identified a duodenal web via duodenotomy. We performed duodeno-duodenostomy without any injury of ampulla of Vater. She was recovered uneventfully. During 6 months after operation, she does well without any gastrointestinal symptoms or signs, such as vomiting or constipation.