Plasma concentrations of acyl-ghrelin are associated with average daily gain and feeding behavior in grow-finish pigs

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of sex, sire line, and litter size on concentrations of acyl-ghrelin and total ghrelin in plasma of grow-finish pigs, and to understand the relationship of plasma concentrations of ghrelin with feeding behavior, average daily gain (ADG), and back fat (BF) in grow-finish swine. Yorkshire-Landrace crossbred dams were inseminated with semen from Yorkshire, Landrace, or Duroc sires. Within 24 h of birth, pigs were cross-fostered into litter sizes of normal (N; > 12 pigs/litter) or small (S; ≤ 9 pigs/litter).

Source: Domestic Animal Endocrinology - January 4, 2016 Category: Endocrinology Authors: C.A. Lents, T.M. Brown-Brandl, G.A. Rohrer, W.T. Oliver, B.A. Freking Source Type: research