title: Intra-uterine growth retardation affects birthweight and postnatal development in pigs, impairing muscle accretion, duodenal mucosa morphology and carcass traits.
abstract: The present study investigated the occurrence of intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) in newborn (n=40) and 150-day-old (n=240) pigs of different birthweight ranges (high, HW: 1.8-2.2kg; low, LW: 0.8-1.2kg) from higher-parity commercial sows and its impact on their subsequent development and carcass traits in a Brazilian commercial production system. HW newborn pigs had heavier organs than LW pigs (P<0.01), and all brain:organ weight ratios were higher (P<0.01) in LW compared with HW offspring, providing strong evidence of IUGR in the LW piglets. HW pigs had higher bodyweights and average daily gain (ADG) in all phases of production (P<0.05), but ADG in the finisher phase was similar in both groups. Additionally, LW newborn and 150-day-old pigs showed a lower percentage of muscle fibres and a higher percentage of connective tissue in the semitendinosus muscle, greater fibre number per mm(2) and a lower height of the duodenal mucosa (P<0.05). On the other hand, HW pigs had higher hot carcass weight, meat content in the carcass and yield of ham, shoulder and belly (P<0.01). Hence, lower-birthweight piglets may suffer from IUGR, which impairs their growth performance, muscle accretion, duodenal mucosa morphology and carcass traits.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural e Reprodução, Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L N
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiarini-Garcia
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Cardeal
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Foxcroft
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: F R C L
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000662:veterinary; D001938:Brazil; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000502:physiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*