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Undernutrition in Young Miniature Swine¹

Sinclair Comparative Medicine Research Farm for the Study of Aging and Chronic Diseases, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201

A 12-week study, using 9-week old Hormel miniature swine, was conducted to evaluate changes in serum biochemical and hematological parameters, body composition, radiologic determinations and organ weights resulting from protein undernutrition. Each pig was weighed weekly and blood samples were collected biweekly. There was no difference in dietary consumption, calculated on a feed/kilogram body weight/day basis, as a result of feeding the 4% protein diet. At the termination of the study, the protein deficient pigs had lower mean serum total protein, albumin, ß-globulin, calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations. The albumin/globulin ratio was decreased as a result of feeding the low protein diet. Packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were all lower in pigs fed the 4% protein diet than in controls. Total body water, extracellular water, intracellular water and mEq of total potassium, as a function of body weight, were not affected by dietary treatment. The radii of the protein deficient pigs were smaller and the cortex thinner than those of the control pigs which indicated a relative reduction in cortical bone. The effect of protein undernutrition on organ weights, ranking from those least affected to those most affected, was as follows: brain, thyroid, tibia, heart, adrenals, lungs, liver, spleen, gastrocnemius muscle and kidneys.

² Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry, and Sinclair Research Farm.

³ Sinclair Research Farm.

⁴ Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.

⁵ Sinclair Research Farm and Department of Veterinary Pathology.

⁶ Department of Food and Nutrition.

Manuscript received 1 July 1969.