Preparturient diabetogenesis in primiparous gilts

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to examine gestational diabetogenic effects in lean gilts and the influence that dietary protein may have on glucose tolerance, reproductive performance, maternal insulin and progesterone levels. Twenty-six Lacombe gilts (14 control, 12 treated) and 229 neonate offspring were examined. During gestation all gilts received a 13% crude protein balanced diet on the basis of body weight. The treated animals received the same diet plus an additional 1.3 g kg−1 body weight d−1 of casein starting on day 1 postcoitus. No differences in litter size or birth weight between treatments were observed. However, the proportion of mummified or still-birth fetuses, while within a normal range, tended to be higher (P < 0.10) in control (1.64 ± 0.43 per litter) than in treated pigs (0.58 ± 0.46). In addition, the muscle protein concentration in the neonatal offspring of treated gilts (91.3 ± 0.35 mg g−1) tended to be higher (P = 0.15) than that seen in the control animals (88.7 ± 0.34 mg g−1). All pregnant gilts, irrespective of treatment, displayed a degree of diabetogenesis two weeks prepartum (P ≤ 0.05). However, no differences in blood insulin or progesterone levels were observed between treatments. The data suggest that protein supplementation to the dam may slightly retard gestational onset diabetogenic effects but has only moderate effects on fetal outcome. Key words: Diabetogenesis, lean gilts, dietary protein