Iron Deficiency Anemia In Piglets Research Articles

Iron Supplementation of Pregnant Sows to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia in Piglets: A Procedure of Questionable Effectiveness.

In pigs, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common disorder that occurs during the early postnatal period, leading to the stunted growth and increased mortality of piglets. The main cause of IDA is low iron stores in the liver of newborn piglets; these stores constitute the main source of iron needed to satisfy the erythropoietic requirements of the piglets in their first weeks of life. Insufficient iron stores in piglets are usually due to the inadequate placental iron transfer from the sow to the fetuses. Therefore, iron supplementation in pregnant sows has been implemented to enhance placental iron transfer and increase iron accumulation in the liver of the fetuses. Over the years, several oral and parenteral approaches have been attempted to supplement sows with various iron preparations, and consequently, to improve piglets' red blood cell indices. However, there is debate with regard to the effectiveness of iron supplementation in pregnant sows for preventing IDA in newborn piglets. Importantly, this procedure should be carried out with caution to avoid iron over-supplementation, which can lead to iron toxicity. This article aims to critically review and evaluate the use of iron supplementation in pregnant sows as a procedure for preventing IDA in piglets.

Iron deficiency anemia in piglets and molecular mechanisms involved in iron metabolism: A review

Iron deficiency anemia in piglets and molecular mechanisms involved in iron metabolism: A review

Comparison of efficacy of needle-free injection versus injection by needle for iron supplementation of piglets: a double blind randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn pig husbandry, most piglets receive an intramuscular injection with iron around three days of age for the prevention of hypochromic, microcytic anaemia. In recent years an increased interest is noted for needle-free injections, because of efficiency and safety for man and animal. This study aims to support the evidence on efficacy to extent the registration of a commercial iron supplement with a needle-free administration application. To this aim the study has two objectives: 1) to determine the effect of needle-free injection of the iron supplement on the mean blood Haemoglobin level at weaning, as primary outcome, and mean Haematocrit and mean Body weight of pigs at weaning as secondary outcome compared to no treatment, as main determinant of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets at time of weaning; 2) to compare the effects of needle-free administration of the iron supplement with regular injection by needle, with regard to the course over time of Haemoglobin, Haematocrit, piglet growth and the differentiated haematological and serum iron parameters.MethodsA double blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 72 piglets, 8 piglets per litter from 9 litters. At three days of age pigs were selected, based on body weight, and random allocated to three study groups: a) control non-treated group (2 pigs per litter, 18 in total), b) a group with regular iron injection by needle injection (3 pigs per litter, 27 in total), c) a group that received iron by needle-free injection (3 pigs per litter, 27 in total). At four points in time (day 3, 14, 26 and 40) piglets were weighed and bled to analyse the dynamics of red blood counts and haematological parameters as well as serum iron parameters. The primary outcome parameter was the Haemoglobin (Hb) level on day 26. Of secondary importance were Haematocrit (Ht) and body weight (BW) at weaning and parameters with tertiary importance were the course of Hb, Ht and differentiated red blood cell parameters, serum iron, iron binding capacity and iron saturation. In the statistical analyses, linear mixed effect regression modelling was used to account for repeated measures within litters and pigs.ResultsThe analyses showed that needle-free administration was as efficacious to prevent iron deficiency anaemia at day 26 as administration using regular needle injection, compared to the control group. The mean level of Hb and Ht of pigs in the needle and needle-free group did not differ significantly. No side effects were observed.ConclusionIt is concluded that needle-free iron administration of the tested product is as efficacious as regular administration by needle injection.

H-ferritin in sows' colostrum- and milk-derived extracellular vesicles: a novel iron delivery concept.

Iron deficiency anemia is a significant problem in piglets, as they are born with insufficient iron stores for supporting their rapid body growth. Further, sows' milk contains inadequate iron levels for meeting the demands of piglet rapid growth in the pre-wean stage. The forms of iron present in the milk are essential to understanding bioavailability and potential routes for supplementing iron to mitigate iron deficiency anemia in piglets. Recently, our studies showed that H-ferritin (FTH1) is involved in iron transport to different tissues and can be used as an oral iron supplement to correct iron deficiency in rats and monkeys. In this study, we investigate the FTH1 levels in colostrum and milk in Yorkshires-crossbred sows (n = 27) and collected samples at the 1st, 15th, and 28th days of lactation to measure FTH1. Colostrum and milk were found to have FTH1, but there is no significant difference between the different days of lactation. FTH1 has been observed to be enriched in extracellular vesicles (EVs) of other species, and therefore examined the EVs in the samples. Colostrum-derived EVs were enriched with L-ferritin compared to FTH1, while in milk-derived EVs, only FTH1 was detected (P = 0.04). In milk-derived EVs, FTH1 was significantly higher (P = 0.021; P = 006) than FTH1 in colostrum-derived EVs. Furthermore, FTH1 levels of milk-derived EVs were significantly higher (P = 0.0002; P = 0004) than whole milk and colostrum FTH1. These results indicate that FTH1 is enriched in the milk-derived EVs and suggest that EVs play a predominant role in the FTH1 delivery mechanism for the piglet. The extent to which FTH1 in EVs accounts for the overall iron delivery mechanism in piglets is yet to be determined.

Control of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets through 2-7-10-15 module of oral iron supplementation

Control of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets through 2-7-10-15 module of oral iron supplementation

Dynamics of Morphological Indicators of Blood of Piglets under the Influence of Iron Clathrochelate Complex and Cyanocobalamin

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common non-contagious diseases of piglets. Veterinary antianemic drugs have several drawbacks, so finding new medicines is an important current task for scientists. Therefore, the present study investigated the antianemic effect of iron (IV) clathrochelate in the organism of piglets. The subsequent studies included the exploration of its antianemic actions, particularly in combination with cyanocobalamin when this combination was administered to sows for prophylaxis in piglets. The experiment was carried out on 30 suckling piglets during the period of their detention with sows. According to the method of analogue groups, two groups of control (I) and experimental (II, each containing 15 animals) were formed and they were studied for 30 days. The piglets from five sows (three from each) were selected for the experimental group. During the pregnancy of these sows, 10 ml of 10% solution of iron (IV) IV clathrochelate and solution of cyanocobalamin were injected intramuscularly twice 7 and 14 days before their expected farrowing. For prevention of iron deficiency anemia, the traditional solution of iron dextran was administered once intramuscularly to piglets of the control group. The investigative material included the blood samples of piglets considering the dynamics of probable changes in the number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin content and hematocrit, and other morphological indicators and blood indices of piglets. The dynamics of changes in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin content, hematocrit, leukocytes and platelets, indices of blood almost did not differ from the dynamics of these values when using only 10% solution of iron (IV) clathrochelate for pregnant sows. The proposed scheme for the prophylaxis of iron deficiency anemia in piglets, involving simultaneous intramuscular injections of IV clathrochelate and cyanocobalamin to pregnant sows, is somewhat inferior to the previous preventive measures, which included only the intramuscular injections of iron (IV) IV clathrochelate, but it can be recommended as highly effective.

Supply of iron in piglets with colostrum/milk of sows using iron (IV) clatrochelate

Many works of both Ukrainian scientists and foreign are devoted to the study of the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in piglets as one of the most common non-communicable diseases of pigs. However, the development of new effective antianemic drugs is still relevant today. We have previously proposed a scheme for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia, based on intramuscular parallel administration of solutions of iron (IV) clatrochelate and cyanocobalaminе to pregnant sows 14 and 7 days before the expected farrowing. This scheme was effective in the absence of stillbirth and clinical signs of anemia in piglets. The aim of our next study was to investigate the content of iron in the milk of sows using iron (IV) clatrochelate during pregnancy. To achieve this goal, 2 groups of sows (hybrids of Landrace and Great White breeds) were formed during their pregnancy and kept with suckling piglets - control and experimental, 5 animals in each. Sows in the experimental group were injected twice (14 and 7 days before expected farrowing) with 10 ml of 10% iron (IV) clatrochelate solution and cyanocobalaminе solution (at the dose recommended by official instructions) twice during pregnancy. Sows of the control group were injected with isotonic sodium chloride solution in conventional doses. During the experiment, the sows of the experimental group during pregnancy (after drug administration) and during the feeding of piglets did not differ in behavior and general condition from the sows of the control group. The study of the dynamics of hemoglobin and morphological parameters of the blood of sows in the control and experimental groups did not reveal significant differences. The content of iron in colostrum / milk of sows of the experimental group during the first seven days after administration was significantly higher compared to the control: 1 day 1.5 times, 4 days 2.1 times and 7 days 2.8 times. Therefore, the proposed scheme for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in piglets is highly efficientand based on the intake of iron with colostrum/milk of sows. Key words: anemia, injection, macrobicyclic complex, prophylaxis, pigs, cyanocobalaminе.

Comparative effectiveness of iron-containing drugs for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in piglets

Prevention of iron deficiency anemia in piglets is an important preventive measure to ensure the health of pigs, as mortality from this pathology is quite high, and animals that recover from treatment do not realize their own potential productivity. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of iron (IV) clatrochelate in combination with cyanocobalamin for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in piglets compared to the traditional scheme of prevention of this disease. To achieve this goal, 2 groups of newborn piglets-analogues were formed during their retention with suckling sows – control and experimental, 15 animals in each. The experiment lasted 30 days. Piglets in the experimental group were selected from sows given 10 ml of 10 % iron (IV) clatrochelate solution and cyanocobalamin solution twice intramuscularly during pregnancy. Piglets of the control group according to the traditional scheme of prevention of iron deficiency anemia on the second day of life were administered iron dextran drug (at the rate of 200 mg of iron (III) per injection). The results of the study show that the body weight of piglets from 1 to 9 days of their life who are born from sows which used iron (IV) clatrochelate and cyanocobalamin during pregnancy was less (P < 0.001) than the body weight of piglets which used iron dextran on the 2nd day after birth; did not differ on the 12 day of life, but on the 30 day was higher than the body weight of piglets in the control group 1.15 times (P < 0.001). The level of protein in the serum of piglets of the experimental group from birth to 30 day of life was probably higher compared to the control, which indicates that iron (IV) clatrochelate stimulates protein synthesis in the body. Therefore, double injection of 10 % solution of iron (IV) clatrochelate in a dose of 10 ml in combination with injections of cyanocobalamin at a dose of 500 mcg of active substance to pregnant sows pregnant sows 14 and 7 days before the expected farrowing provides a preventive effect of iron deficiency anemia in piglets born to them.

Hemoglobin content, hematocrit and morphological parameters of blood of piglets under the influence of iron preparations

Hypoplastic anemia is a disease that is associated with a decrease in the number of red blood cells and / or hemoglobin per unit volume of blood due to hematopoietic disorders and is manifested by changes in metabolism and growth retardation. Particular attention was paid to changes in the body of piglets of the experimental group compared with the control in the probable period of manifestation of iron deficiency anemia. The uniqueness of the chemical structure of iron (IV) clatrochelate allowed us to assume that intramuscular administration of a solution of this substance to sows will provide the necessary need for iron during the first months of life of piglets. The influence of the proposed scheme of prevention of this pathology on the further development of young pigs was analyzed. The results of the study of erythrocyte count, hemoglobin content and hematocrit were scientifically significant, because the gradual decrease in these indicators after the birth of piglets is a physiologically determined phenomenon for animals of this species. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of Iron (IV) clatrochelate in pregnant sows in order to prevent iron deficiency anemia in piglets and to determine its effect on hemoglobin content, hematocrit and morphological parameters of piglets' blood. To achieve this goal, 2 groups of newborn piglets-analogues were formed during their retention with suckling sows – control and experimental, 15 animals in each. The experiment lasted 60 days. Piglets from the experimental group were selected from sows who were injected 10 ml 10 % Iron (IV) clatrochelate solution twice intramuscularly during pregnancy. The results of the studies show that the content of hemoglobin in the blood of piglets of the experimental group was the same as in animals of the control group at 1 and 60 days of life, and 1.1–1.3 times lower in other periods of the study; hematocrit - was the same on the first day of life and 1.3–1.9 times lower in other study periods. Quantitative indicators of blood cells of piglets of the control and experimental groups did not exceed the normative values, but the number of erythrocytes in the blood of piglets of the experimental group was probably lower than the control indicator at 5, 9 and 30 days of life. Therefore, a double injection of 10 % Iron (IV) clatrochelate solution into pregnant sows 14 and 7 days before the expected farrowing provides a preventive effect on iron deficiency anemia in piglets born to them.

Relationship between Down-Regulation of Copper-Related Genes and Decreased Ferroportin Protein Level in the Duodenum of Iron-Deficient Piglets.

In mammals, 2 × 1012 red blood cells (RBCs) are produced every day in the bone marrow to ensure a constant supply of iron to maintain effective erythropoiesis. Impaired iron absorption in the duodenum and inefficient iron reutilization from senescent RBCs by macrophages contribute to the development of anemia. Ferroportin (Fpn), the only known cellular iron exporter, as well as hephaestin (Heph) and ceruloplasmin, two copper-dependent ferroxidases involved in the above-mentioned processes, are key elements of the interaction between copper and iron metabolisms. Crosslinks between these metals have been known for many years, but metabolic effects of one on the other have not been elucidated to date. Neonatal iron deficiency anemia in piglets provides an interesting model for studying this interplay. In duodenal enterocytes of young anemic piglets, we identified iron deposits and demonstrated increased expression of ferritin with a concomitant decline in both Fpn and Heph expression. We postulated that the underlying mechanism involves changes in copper distribution within enterocytes as a result of decreased expression of the copper transporter—Atp7b. Obtained results strongly suggest that regulation of iron absorption within enterocytes is based on the interaction between proteins of copper and iron metabolisms and outcompetes systemic regulation.

Comparative efficacy of two parenteral iron-containing preparations, iron gleptoferron and iron dextran, for the prevention of anaemia in suckling piglets

Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a serious health problem in neonatal piglets and is controlled by routine application of iron in various formulations. The efficacy and safety of two iron-containing products...

Iron Supplementation in Suckling Piglets: An Ostensibly Easy Therapy of Neonatal Iron Deficiency Anemia.

In pigs, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent deficiency disorder during the early postnatal period, frequently developing into a serious illness. On the other hand, in humans, only low-birth-weight infants, including premature infants, are especially susceptible to developing IDA. In both human and pig neonates, the initial cause of IDA is low birth iron stores. In piglets this shortage of stored iron results mainly from genetic selection over the past few decades for large litter sizes and high birth weights. As a consequence, pregnant sows cannot provide a sufficient amount of iron to the increasing number of developing fetuses. Supplementation with iron is a common practice for the treatment of IDA in piglets. For decades, the preferred procedure for delivering iron supplements during early life stages has been through the intramuscular injection of a large amount of iron dextran. However, this relatively simple therapy, which in general, efficiently corrects IDA, may generate toxic effects, and by inducing hepcidin expression, may decrease bioavailability of supplemental iron. New iron supplements are considered herein with the aim to combine the improvement of hematological status, blunting of hepcidin expression, and minimizing the toxicity of the administered iron. We propose that iron-deficient piglets constitute a convenient animal model for performing pre-clinical studies with iron supplements.

Dietary hemoglobin rescues young piglets from severe iron deficiency anemia: Duodenal expression profile of genes involved in heme iron absorption.

Heme is an efficient source of iron in the diet, and heme preparations are used to prevent and cure iron deficiency anemia in humans and animals. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for heme absorption remain only partially characterized. Here, we employed young iron-deficient piglets as a convenient animal model to determine the efficacy of oral heme iron supplementation and investigate the pathways of heme iron absorption. The use of bovine hemoglobin as a dietary source of heme iron was found to efficiently counteract the development of iron deficiency anemia in piglets, although it did not fully rebalance their iron status. Our results revealed a concerted increase in the expression of genes responsible for apical and basolateral heme transport in the duodenum of piglets fed a heme-enriched diet. In these animals the catalytic activity of heme oxygenase 1 contributed to the release of elemental iron from the protoporphyrin ring of heme within enterocytes, which may then be transported by the strongly expressed ferroportin across the basolateral membrane to the circulation. We hypothesize that the well-recognized high bioavailability of heme iron may depend on a split pathway mediating the transport of heme-derived elemental iron and intact heme from the interior of duodenal enterocytes to the bloodstream.

Comparison of oral iron and injectable iron in the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets

Comparison of oral iron and injectable iron in the prevention of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets

Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Body Weight in Piglets

Reference ranges for clinical biochemical parameters commonly investigated in pigs were determined in one- (day 1), 21- and 35-day old piglets. The mean and standard deviation were also estimated for body weight, and haematological and clinical biochemical parameters at these ages. The piglets were divided into 2 investigation groups according to whether they had a haemoglobin concentration < or = 80 g/l ("anaemic group") or > 80 g/l ("normal group") on days 14, 21 and 28. The "anaemic group" was compared to the "normal group" on days 21 and 35. Many of the clinical biochemical parameters varied according to age. Some of the enzymes had high average values and wide reference ranges in piglets, especially on day 1, compared to the reference ranges for sows given in the literature. The reference ranges for some of the metabolic parameters were broader on day 1 than later in the preweaning period. The reference ranges for albumin, total iron-binding capacity and serum iron were, however, lower and more narrow on day 1. On days 21 and 35, relatively high values for phosphorus must be considered "normal" compared to the figures given in the literature for adult pigs. The other minerals seemed to be quite unaffected of age, but some were affected by anaemia. The anaemic piglets had lower average serum iron but higher total iron-binding capacity than the "normal" piglets on days 21 and 35. However, variation between piglets gave wide reference ranges, indicating that these parameters will only have limited usefulness in detecting iron deficiency anaemia in piglets. The electrolytes seemed also to be affected by the existence of anaemia. The body weight and leukocyte counts were significantly lower in the "anaemic group" than the "normal group" on day 35, while the greatest differences in clinical biochemical parameters between the groups were found on day 21, when the piglets in the "anaemic group" were most severely anaemic. Although these piglets suffered from severe iron-deficiency anaemia, only a few clinical biochemical parameters were affected, and the differences between groups were mostly small.

Recent advances in our knowlege of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets.

Recent advances in our knowlege of iron deficiency anaemia in piglets.