Abstract:

【Objective】 The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of arginine (Arg) on growth and development of fetus in Huanjiang mini-pigs. 【Method】 Ten first-parity female Huanjiang mini-pigs with a live body weight (BW) of 35-40 kg were chosen in this study and raised in ten pens of one pig in each. After 15 days of service, the animals were randomly assigned into two groups (5 pigs per group), representing supplementation of 1.71% L-alanine (iso-nitrogenous control) or 0.83% L-Arg. After 45 days of service, the sows were weighted and killed by bloodletting of carotid artery. Blood samples were collected into heparin-coated tubes and the plasma were got by centrifugation. The number, BW, survival rate of fetus were observed, and the plasma, amniotic fluid, allantonic fluid and placenta were collected for analysis. 【Result】 Results showed that the average BW of fetus and corpus luteum number from sow fed Arg-supplemented diet were 14.4% (P＜0.05) and 6.0% (P＞0.05) higher, while the content of crude fat in placenta was 14.7% lower (P＜0.05) than the alanine-supplemented diet group. Dietary addition of Arg increased (P＜0.05) Arg concentration in amniotic fluid by 65.0% and allantonic fluid by 79.1%, while decreased (P＜0.05) lysine concentration in allantonic fluid by 28.3%. The concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma and allantonic fluid in sow fed with Arg-supplemented diet increased (P＜0.05) by 22.9% and 66.3%, respectively, the activities of total NO synthetase increased by 75.5%, inducible NO synthetase increased by 61.7% and constitutive NO synthetase increased by 84.5% in placenta compared with the control group. 【Conclusion】 These findings suggested that Arg plays an important role in increasing growth and development of fetus by stimulating NO production of placenta during early pregnancy in sow.

Key words: arginine, growth and development, fetus, Huanjiang mini-pigs