Identification of some plasma biomarkers associated with early weaning stress in crossbred piglets

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to examine the physiological effects of early weaning of crossbred piglets and identify a panel of plasma-based biomarkers. Eighteen crossbred (Landrace × indigenous) suckling piglets were assigned to one of the two treatments on the day of weaning: (1) control (n = 9), piglets were loose-housed with their dam and (2) weaned (n = 9), piglets were abruptly selected from their dam and kept in a separate pen. Ad libitum water was supplied to all pens for drinking and all the piglets received same concentrate diet with free access. The blood was collected from anterior vena cava on d −3, 1, 3, 7, and 15 relative to weaning (day 1) and measured for oxidative stress indicators (total antioxidant; TA and nitric oxide; NOx), acute phase proteins (haptoglobin; Hp and ceruloplasmin; Cp), high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), inflammatory cytokines (interferon-gamma;IFN-γ, tumor necrosis factor- alpha;TNF-α, and interleukin-1beta; IL-1β), and chemokines (intercellular adhesion molecule-1; ICAM-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1;MCP-1 and transforming growth factor beta 1; TGF-β1). It is concluded that MCP-1, Hp, and HMGB1 protein are the potential biomarkers besides NOx and IL-1β which are the sensitive indicator of physiological stress in early weaned piglets. In the future, the determination of these markers would definitely help in identifying the weaned piglets with substantial stress condition which in turn help to find out the strategies for effective and efficient management of piglets to make the pig husbandry an economically profitable, environmentally sustainable, and ecologically viable industry.