| To find out the impact of intrauterine growth retardation on the tissue growth and functional maturation in the small intestine of newborn pigs, and the catch-up growth of intrauterine growth retarded pigs during postnatal 1 week, we selected the intrauterine growth retarded piglet using natural select, and compared digestive organ weight, small intestinal tissue mass, length, tissue structure, mucosal DNA, RNA and protein contents, and mucosal lactase, maltase, aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase activities between normal piglets and piglets with IUGR at birth, or after naturally suckled with their dams for 3 days and 7 days.In the experiment, 14 normal piglets and 14 piglets with IUGR were selected from 14 litters of Large White, Landrace and Mi crossed sows. And they were randomly assigned to three groups: Newborn group (D0, 5 NW and 5 IUGR), Group naturally suckled for 3 days(D3, 5 NW and 5 IUGR) and group naturally suckled for 7 days (D7, 4 NW and 4 IUGR). In the first experiment, the growth of the small intestine and the digestive organ were compared between normal piglets and intrauterine growth retarded piglets from newborn to 7 days age after birth. The weight of digestive organ, the weight and length of the small intestine, the mucosal contents of DNA, RNA and protein in both of normal piglets and piglets with IUGR were increased significantly from newborn to 7 days age after birth. The weight of major digestive organ, small intestinal length and weight in newborn normal piglets were larger than those in IUGR, which was related to obvious higher protein contents in normal piglets (517±85 mg Vs 382±63 mg, P<0.05). Higher relative length and lower relative weight of small intestine in piglets with IUGR compared to those in normal piglets suggested that intrauterine growth retardation reduced the surface absorption area of small intestine. After piglets were naturally suckled with dam for 3 days, the weights of major digestive organ include small intestine in piglets with normal weight were obviously larger than those in piglets with IUGR. Higher relative length (368.48± 64.56cm/kg Vs 273.13±48.40cm/kg, P<0.05) and lower relative weight (106.29± 10.28mg/cm Vs 132.41 ± 22.64mg/cm, P<0.05) of small intestine in IUGR piglets compared to those in normal piglets suggested that the surface absorption area of small intestine in intrauterine growth retarded piglets is still lower than that in normal piglets. The differences of mucosal DNA, RNA and protein contents between normal piglets and piglets with IUGR after naturally suckled with their dams for 3 days were all not clear (P>0.05). In postnatal y days age, the body weight and the weight of pancreas in normal piglets were still highei than those in piglets with IUGRC P<0.05) .The content of mucosal RNA of small intestine in piglets with normal weight (112.7±25.6mg Vs 82.2±11.0mg, P<0.05) was markedly higher than that in piglets with IUGR. But there were not significant difference in most of observed parameters between them.In the second experiment, the morphology of the small intestine was compared between normal piglets and intrauterine growth retarded piglets from 0 to 7 days age. The morphology of the small intestine in both of normal piglets and piglets with IUGR were markedly changed from newborn to 7 days age after birth, especially the wall thickness and villus height were significantly increased. Small intestinal wall thickness, villus height and crypt depth in newborn intrauterine growth retarded piglets were markedly lower than those in normal piglets. In 3 days age, Small intestinal wall thickness and villus height in part intestinal regions of normal piglets were significantly higher than those in piglets with IUGR. In 7 days age. the difference of the morphology between normal piglets and piglets with IUGR were not significant.In the third experiment, the enzyme activities in mucous membrane of small intestine were compared between normal piglets and intrauterine growth retarded piglets from 0 to 7 days age. During the pos... |
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