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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #323792
Title: Use of plasma orosomucoid in newborn piglets to predict preweaning growth performance and its mechanism of action

Author
item Ramsay, Timothy
item Blomberg, Le Ann
item Vallet, Jeff
item CAPERNA, THOMAS - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/22/2015
Publication Date: 4/22/2015
Citation: Ramsay, T.G., Blomberg, L., Vallet, J.L., Caperna, T.J. 2015. Use of plasma orosomucoid in newborn piglets to predict preweaning growth performance and its mechanism of action. Journal of Animal Science. 94(SUPPLE2):66.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Orosomucoid (ORM) is the most prevalent serum protein in the newborn pig. The present study was designed to determine if plasma ORM at birth can be used to predict the relative performance of piglets within a litter between birth and weaning using a highly sensitive ELISA specific for pig ORM. Secondly, this study also looked at the potential mechanism of action of ORM on growth by examining the effects of ORM on protein synthesis in vitro. Plasma was obtained from 19 litters (202 piglets) from the US Meat Animal Research Center. These samples were analyzed using a pig ORM ELISA developed by USDA-ARS Beltsville. Purified pig ORM was purchased (Life Diagnostics Inc, West Chester, PA, USA) and used to prepare an antiserum in rabbits. Plasma ORM in newborn piglets was negatively correlated with growth rate between birth and weaning at 21 days of age (linear regression correlation coefficient [CC] = - 0.225, p < 0.003). This correlation was improved by expressing plasma ORM relative to total plasma protein (CC = - 0.370, P < 0.0001). When ORM was calculated on a per kg birth weight basis, the CC further improved (-0.462, P < 0.0001). How elevated concentrations of plasma ORM at birth are related to poor postnatal growth has not been identified. Therefore, in vitro experiments were performed to determine if ORM can interfere with protein synthesis using the skeletal muscle C2C12 cell line. C2C12 myotubes were treated with serum free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium, 0.5% BSA, and 0, 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 µg/mL mouse ORM in the initial experiment. Treatments were added to cultures for 1 hour, then supplemented with 0.5 µCi 3H-tyrosine/mL medium for an additional 2 hours for a total exposure time to ORM for 3 hours, followed by washes and protein extraction. ORM had no effect on protein synthesis as measured by 3H-tyrosine incorporation (p > 0.05; n = 4 trials). Treatment with 20 ng IGF1/mL medium increased 3H-tyrosine incorporation by 53% (P < 0.01, n = 3 trials); whereas the addition of ORM reduced IGF1 induced 3H-tyrosine incorporation by 40% (P < 0.01, n = 3 trials). These data indicate that ORM can indirectly reduce 3H-tyrosine incorporation into C2C12 myotube proteins by altering IGF1 efficacy, suggesting ORM interferes with the growth promoting effects of IGF1 and may contribute to the observed negative correlation between plasma ORM at birth and preweaning growth rates in swine.