THE EFFECT OF INGESTED CHLORTETRACYCLINE ON SOME HYDROLASES AND ORGANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS IN GROWING PIGS: II. PANCREAS–DRY WEIGHT, FAT CONTENT, PROTEASE, AND AMYLASE ACTIVITY

Abstract

Results of experiments to investigate the effect of dietary chlortetracycline on pancreas dry weight and on the crude fat content and hydrolase activity of the gland are presented. Chlortetracycline fed at a level of 20 g. per ton of feed caused an increase in rate of gain and efficiency of feed utilization by pigs between the ages of 9 and 17 weeks. An effect on the pancreas was indicated by significant increases in: (a) dry weight, (b) total protease and amylase activity, and (c) amylase activity per gram dry matter of the glands from animals receiving the supplemented ration. The difference remained significant after adjustment for body weight by covariance in the case of amylase activity but not for dry weight or protease activity, indicating that the effect of chlortetracycline on amylase activity was more pronounced than that on rate of gain of pigs, pancreas dry weight, or pancreatic protease activity. No significant difference in the crude fat content of the pancreas attributable to the inclusion of chlortetracycline in the ration was observed.