Major plasma proteins in pig serum during postnatal development.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Animal Physiology

Background:

• Newborn piglet serum composition differs significantly from adults.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for assessing piglet health and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the time-course of serum protein changes in piglets during early life.
• To characterize the transition from a fetal to an adult serum protein profile.
• To analyze the dynamics of acute-phase proteins in neonatal pigs.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative radial immunodiffusion was used to measure protein levels.
• Serum samples were collected from pigs at various stages from birth through the first weeks of life.
• Specific proteins analyzed included albumin, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alpha(1)-antitrypsin, alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, fetuin, haptoglobin, transferrin, IgG, and Pig-MAP.

Main Results:

• Newborn piglet serum showed low total protein, albumin, and transferrin, with absent immunoglobulins.
• High concentrations of alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein and fetuin were observed in newborns.
• Serum protein profiles rapidly matured, shifting from a fetal to an adult pattern within weeks.
• Haptoglobin and Pig-MAP levels indicated a moderate acute-phase response in the first week of life.

Conclusions:

• Piglets exhibit rapid metabolic maturation of serum proteins post-birth.
• The early life period involves a significant transition in protein profiles, reflecting developmental changes.
• Neonatal piglets experience a mild acute-phase response during their first week, highlighted by haptoglobin and Pig-MAP dynamics.