Fasting plasma hormones and metabolites in feral and domestic newborn pigs.

Newborn Yorkshire and Ossabaw (feral) pigs were examined under thermoneutral conditions to determine whether survival rate during fasting differs between these breeds and whether any blood-borne factors are associated with improved survival. Newborn pigs were removed from the sow before suckling. Body composition was determined on 10 newborn Ossabaw and 12 newborn Yorkshire pigs. Another group of animals (eight Ossabaw, 12 Yorkshire) was fasted for 72 hr, with blood samples drawn at birth and 12 and 24 hr into fasting. Glucose, free fatty acid (FFA), growth hormone (GH), insulin, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), cortisol and glucagon concentrations were measured in plasma of fasted pigs. Concentrations of carcass lipid, dry matter and ash were higher in newborn Ossabaw pigs than in newborn Yorkshire pigs. Survival through 72 hr of fasting was lower among Yorkshire pigs. Yorkshire and Ossabaw pigs had similar concentrations of metabolites and hormones at birth, with the exceptions of lower plasma GH and higher T3 concentrations in Ossabaw pigs. Higher plasma T3 concentrations would indicate a greater potential for fatty acid oxidation. During fasting, Ossabaw pigs had lower plasma GH and T4 concentrations and higher glucagon and FFA concentrations. Increased survival among newborn Ossabaw pigs may have been due to increased availability of FFA during fasting, and to a greater potential for gluconeogenesis through increased oxidation of fatty acids and higher plasma glucagon concentrations. This would suggest that maternal treatments that would increase storage of fat and(or) increase the capacity for oxidation of fat in utero would improve survival of newborn pigs.