Histomorphological studies of the perinatal pig: comparison of five mortality groups with unaffected pigs

The results of a histological examination of organs obtained from 5 clinically and morphologically identified and described mortality groups of pigs dying during the perinatal period (0–60 h of age) were compared with the results obtained from the same examination of unaffected, apparently normal pigs (0.4–60 h of age). The histomorphological pictures were judged blind according to a scale of 1 to 4, where 1 = none or insignificant, and 4 = a high degree of a specific organ characteristic. The results for each organ characteristic were analysed statistically.     

Analysis of birth weight variability in pigs with respect to liveborn and total born offspring

Reduction in the variability of piglet birth weight within litter and increased piglet survival are key objective in schemes aiming to improve sow prolificacy. In previous studies, variation in birth weight was described by the sample standard deviation of birth weights within one litter, and the genetic impact has been proved. In this study, we additionally considered the sex effect on piglet's birth weight and on its variability. The sample variance of birth weights per litter separated by sex was assigned as a trait of the sow. Different transformations of the trait were fitted by linear and generalized linear mixed models. Based on 1111 litters from Landrace sows, the estimates of heritability for the different measures ranged from 11 to 12%. We analysed the influence of including birth weight of stillborn piglets on the variability of birth weight within litter. With omitted stillborns, the heritability was estimated approximately 2% higher than that in investigations of all born piglets, and the impact of sex on birth weight variability was increased. Because the proportion of intrapartum deaths is rather high, it is recommended to consider the total number of piglets born per litter when analysing birth weight variation.     

胎盘效率与宫内发育迟缓仔猪关系研究

试验以355头(1~4胎)正常发情、配种和分娩的大长(YL)和长大(LY)二元母猪为研究对象,对母猪胎盘进行收集称重,同时称量仔猪的初生重及初生窝重,并记录窝产仔数、产活仔数、死胎数、木乃伊数、宫内发育迟缓(IUGR)仔猪数以及母猪的品种和胎次,进行数据统计分析。结果表明,随着胎盘效率的提高其产仔数和产活仔数也提高,IUGR发生率降低,LY与YL母猪胎盘效率最高的1/3组产仔数和产活仔数显著高于胎盘效率最低的1/3组(P0.05);初产母猪与经产母猪之间的胎盘效率、产仔数差异不显著,但是经产母猪的产活仔数显著高于初产母猪(P0.05),死胎发生率和木乃伊发生率要低于初产母猪,而IUGR发生率高于初产母猪;IUGR发生率、死胎发生率和木乃伊发生率与产仔数呈显著正相关(P0.05),与胎盘效率呈负相关,并且IUGR发生率与死胎、木乃伊发生率之间也呈正相关;胎盘效率与母猪的产仔数、产活仔数呈正相关关系,而与IUGR、死胎和木乃伊发生率呈负相关关系,胎盘效率越高其产仔数、产活仔数也越高,而IUGR仔猪、死胎和木乃伊发生的频率越低。     

Blood serum characteristics of newborn pigs: comparison of unaffected pigs with pigs belonging to five mortality groups.

The blood serum levels of glucose, hemoglobin, insulin, cortisol, albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin f and s, alpha 2-antitrypsin inhibitor and alpha 1-protease inhibitor were determined at birth in 5 clinically and morphologically identified mortality groups of pigs. These were compared with the levels observed in unaffected, apparently normal newborn unsuckled pigs. The blood serum profile of the pigs in the stillborn intra partum, weak, splayleg and trauma groups, respectively, as well as that of clinically normal splayleg littermates, differed significantly from that of the unaffected pigs. This was especially true for the levels of hemoglobin and the two macroglobulins. The importance of placental insufficiency causing chronic episodes of hypoxia which ultimately lead to a disturbance in organ development in the etiology of the mortality groups is discussed.     

荣昌猪初产繁殖性状的全基因组关联研究

旨在鉴定荣昌猪初产繁殖性状的重要变异位点和基因,为荣昌猪繁殖性状的遗传改良提供重要的分子标记和基因资源。本研究选取429头荣昌母猪进行猪50K芯片基因分型,经过质量控制和基因型填充后,保留35 046个SNPs用于分析。采用主成分分析法研究群体结构,利用混合线性模型(mixed-linear model, MLM)将出生年、出生月作为固定效应,将主成分值作为协变量对总产仔数、活产仔数、死胎数和初生窝重性状进行全基因组关联分析(GWAS)。结果显示,在全基因组显著水平上鉴定出2个影响荣昌猪初生窝重的SNPs和1个影响荣昌猪死胎数的SNP;在潜在显著水平上鉴定到5个影响荣昌猪总产仔数的SNPs, 3个影响荣昌猪活产仔数的SNPs和10个影响荣昌猪死胎数的SNPs。通过全基因组关联分析筛选到1个显著的SNP(SSC17:57 315 180 bp)同时影响荣昌猪总产仔数、活产仔数和初生窝重,1个显著的SNP(SSC1:279 214 647 bp)同时影响荣昌猪活产仔数和总产仔数,暗示基因在不同性状间具有一因多效性。本研究根据候选基因的相关分子生物学功能,确定BMP7基因为影响荣昌猪总产仔数...     

Detection of Torque teno sus virus 1 and 2 in tissues from stillborn piglets delivered by sows via natural farrowing

We detected Torque teno sus virus 1 and 2 (TTSuV1 and TTSuV2) in tissue samples from 18 stillborn piglets using nested polymerase chain reaction. The detection rates of TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 were 78% and 50%, respectively, with 83% of the stillborn piglets positive for TTSuV1 or TTSuV2. TTSuV1 was detected highest in the liver (72%) followed by heart (56%), spleen (38%) and tonsils (38%) while TTSuV2 was detected highest in the tonsils (38%) followed by liver (33%), spleen (25%), and heart (17%). These results indicate that TTSuVs are commonly present but not equally distributed among the tissues of stillborn piglets.