Postnatal response of liver and skeletal muscle in pigs from gestationally fasted gilts

Fifteen pregnant crossbred gilts were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (0, 7 or 14-day fast) to study the response of liver and skeletal muscles in the progeny to preparturent maternal fasting. The control group was fed 1.82 kg of diet/day throughout gestation, 7-day and 14-day fasted groups were taken off feed on days 107 and 100 of gestation, respectively. Water and trace mineral salts were provided ad libitum. Body weight, liver weight, and gastrocnemius muscle weight at birth and at 49-day of age were not affected by the treatments (P greater than .05). Total liver DNA was depressed (P less than .025) at birth in the progenies of fasted gilts. Total gastrocnemius muscle DNA was lower at birth in the 14-day (P less than .05) and 7-day (P less than .10) fasted progenies. Protein, RNA, protein/DNA, and RNA/DNA ratios in the liver and muscle of pigs at birth were not altered by maternal treatments. At 49-day of age, total muscle DNA were similar among the treatment groups, however, the livers of pigs from fasted dams had elevated (P less than .05) total DNA content as well as DNA concentrations. No differences were noted in muscle and liver protein, RNA, RNA/DNA, and protein/DNA ratios. The results indicate that complete feed-deprivation from 7 to 14 days before parturition in gilts did not cause a permanent growth retardation in progenies and appeared to stimulate liver DNA synthesis.