Animal Science Abstract
Injection of neonatal piglets with dexamethasone stimulates leptin mRNA expression and reduces the stress response in market weight pigs
W. J. Meadus1,A, R. MacInnis1, J. L. Aalhus1 and N. J. Cook1
AE-mail meadusj@em.agr.ca
1Meat Research Section, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C&E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1W1, CanadaAbstract
Neonatal piglets were given three daily injections of dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg body weight to examine if their stress response and carcass fat distribution at a 120-kg market weight could be altered. The daily acute injections tended to increase the amount of muscle and adrenal leptin mRNA expression (P < 0•1) for 1 and 3 days after the end of the treatment but had no effect on the amount of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA. The treated animals had a 19% lower adult stress response to transport than the controls as measured by salivary cortisol levels. There was no significant change in the treated animals' carcass and meat quality traits at market weight. However, a trend towards more marbling fat and carcass backfat were seen in the dexamethasone treated pigs at market weight.
Keywords: cortisol, dexamethasone, leptin, meat quality, stress response
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