Clinical evaluations of a new prostaglandin analog in pigs: 1. Control of parturition and of the MMA-syndrome.

In two field trials, the parturition inducing and MMA preventing effects of the prostaglandin F(2alpha) analog (PGFA), K 11941, were explored. In trial 1, 100 sows were treated with 2 mg and 30 with 3 mg of K 11941 i.m. on day 112 of gestation; 125 sows treated on day 112 with 175 mcg cloprostenol (Planate, ICI) served as positive controls, and 248 sows treated with saline on day 112 of gestation were used as negative controls. Both PGF analogs were equally effective in inducing early parturiton: 84.6% and 83.2% of the sows had farrowed between 20 and 30 hours after treatment. Both treatments reduced stillbirth rate and piglet losses during the first 10 days of life, and lowered the incidence of MMA significantly (6.2 and 5.6% vs 27.3 and 24.2%; p<.001). In a second trial, parturitions were induced in four groups of 60 sows each with 2 mg K 11941, housed in farms with either a chronic high incidence of MMA (A: 45 to 65% or only a seasonal rise in MMA during summer (B: 10 to 50%). Groups were treated either in April/May or August/September; 240 salinetreated, control sows were used. K 11941-induced parturition reduced MMA incidence in farm A during both seasons and prevented the summer rise in farm B (p<.01). Fertility after weaning was impaired in herds with an increased incidence of MMA.