The effect of administration of 2-iminobiotin at birth on growth rates, morbidity and mortality in piglets under farm conditions

• Published in: Livestock science Vol. 115; no. 2-3; pp. 129 - 136
• Main Authors: van Dijk, A.J., Jonker, F.H., Taverne, M.A.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-06-2008; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier
• Subjects: 2-iminobiotin; animal growth; animal health; arginine; asphyxia; biotin; blood; Growth rates; hypoxia; Hypoxia-ischemia; Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase; Morbidity; Mortality; Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase; neurons; nitric oxide synthase; parturition; Perinatal asphyxia; perinatal period; Piglet; piglets; postpartum period; Perinatal asphyxia; Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase; Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase; Piglet; Mortality; Growth rates; 2-iminobiotin; Hypoxia-ischemia; Morbidity
• ISSN: 1871-1413; 1878-0490
• DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2007.06.016

It has since long been demonstrated that perinatal asphyxia in pigs can result in perinatal mortality, decreased viability/vitality at birth and reduced survival rates until 10 days of age. In human perinatology much interest is presently focussed on strategies to prevent adverse outcome arising from birth asphyxia. Given the rather high perinatal and postnatal losses in the pig industry, it is very interesting to explore rescue strategies to reduce adverse effects of postischemic organ damage caused by perinatal asphyxia also in newborn piglets.
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of postnatal treatment of piglets with 2-IminoBiotin (2-IB), a selective inhibitor of neuronal and inducible NitricOxideSynthase (nNOS and iNOS), under farm conditions on postnatal growth rates, morbidity and mortality.
In total 81 piglets from 15 litters were used. Immediately after birth, blood was collected from the umbilical artery and piglets were alternately assigned to either a control (saline) or drug (2-IB; 0.18 mg/kg bodyweight every 4 h during 24 h) group. Administration of control or drug started with an intravenous injection in the umbilical vein immediately after birth, followed by 6 intraperitoneal injections at 4 h intervals, starting 4 h after the intravenous injection. Piglets were checked for growth, morbidity and mortality until the experiment was finished (average age: 44 days).
Postnatal treatment with 2-IB resulted in significantly increased growth rates at 10 days of age (P=0.02) (165 g/day compared to 140 g/day in controls), independently of health status and birth weight. At weaning 2-IB treated piglets tended to show higher growth rates (P=0.06). Growth rates at the end of the experiment, morbidity and mortality were not affected by treatment.
It is hypothesized that 2-IB reduces the rather limited, nearly ‘physiological’ harmful effects occurring in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting from a short period of hypoxia-ischemia experienced during birth. This might explain the significantly increased growth rates at 10 days of life in 2-IB treated piglets. Selective inhibition of nNOS and iNOS might also result in increased availability of l-arginine for protein synthesis in newborns resulting in higher postnatal growth rates. However these issues need further investigations.
In conclusion, this study showed a positive effect of immediate postpartum administration of 2-IB during the first day after birth on growth rates up to 10 days of age. Furthermore, no negative effects of 2-IB treatment on piglet health and survival were found.