Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:04:26.261Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of oral progesterone and caffeine at the end of gestation on farrowing duration and piglet growth and survival

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2017

W. H. E. J. van Wettere ,
P. Toplis  and
H. M. Miller
W. H. E. J. van Wettere*
Affiliation:
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy SA 5371, Australia
P. Toplis
Affiliation:
AbNeo, Peterborough PE2 6FL, UK
H. M. Miller
Affiliation:
Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
*
†E-mail: william.vanwettere@adelaide.edu.au
Get access

Abstract

The profitability of pig production is constrained by high incidences of peri-parturient and pre-weaning piglet mortality. Supplementing sows with either progesterone or caffeine during the last week of gestation can reduce stillbirths and improve piglet performance. However, the consequences of combining these two substances has not been investigated. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of oral supplementation of sows with progesterone (regumate) and caffeine at the end of gestation on the timing and progression of farrowing, as well as piglet survival and growth to weaning. From days 111 to 113 of gestation, 20 Large White pregnant sows (parity 3.0±0.45) received 5 ml of Regumate Porcine (0.4 w/v oral solution; MSD Animal Health) daily on top of their morning ration. Sows were stratified according to parity and predicted farrowing date, and allocated at random to receive a diet supplemented with either 0 g caffeine/kg diet (CONT) or 2.4 g of caffeine/kg diet (CAFF) from day 113 of gestation until parturition (n=10 sows/treatment). Treatment did not affect total litter size; however, CONT sows gave birth to more live and fewer dead piglets compared with CAFF sows; 14.5±0.73 v. 11.7±1.03 and 0.7±0.20 v. 3.2±0.77; P<0.05). Mean, minimum and maximum piglet birthweight were unaffected by treatment. Compared with the control, caffeine increased the proportion of piglets with a birthweight <1 kg (0.16±0.05 v. 0.05±0.02; P=0.072) and decreased the proportion of live born piglets surviving to day 5 postpartum (0.77±0.06 v. 0.90±0.02; P<0.05) and to weaning (0.74±0.06 v. 0.90±0.02; P<0.05). Overall, the current data provided the first evidence that caffeine supplementation of sows receiving progesterone to prevent premature farrowing impaired piglet survival during, and shortly after parturition. This negative outcome may be linked to extended farrowing durations and an increase in the proportion of very light piglets at birth. These data provide compelling, albeit preliminary, evidence that caffeine and progesterone should not be used together at the end of gestation.

Keywords

caffeineprogesteronestillbirthspigletsow
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 12 , Issue 8 , August 2018 , pp. 1638 - 1641
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Apaydin, S, Gonen, C and Guven, H 1998. The probable role of nitric oxide on the relaxations obtained by caffeine and aminophylline in rat uterus. Pharmacological Research 38, 387–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balogh, A, Klinger, G, Henschel, L, Börner, A, Vollanth, R and Kuhnz, W 1995. Influence of ethinylestradiol-containing combination oral contraceptives with gestodene or levonorgestrel on caffeine elimination. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48, 61–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dearlove, BA, Kind, KE and van Wettere, WHEJ 2015. Feeding caffeine to sows in gestation reduced stillbirths. Animal Production Science 55, 1541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaggini, TS, Perin, J, Arend, LS, Bernardi, ML, Wentz, I and Bortolozzo, FP 2013. Altrenogest treatment associated with a farrowing induction protocol to avoid early parturition in sows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 48, 390–395.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grosso, LM, Triche, EW, Belanger, K, Benowitz, NL, Holford, TR and Bracken, MB 2006. Caffeine metabolites in umbilical cord blood, cytochrome P-450 1A2 activity, and intrauterine growth restriction. American Journal of Epidemiology 163, 1035–1041.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herpin, P, Damon, M and Le Dividich, J 2002. Development of thermoregulation and neonatal survival in pigs. Livestock Production Science 78, 25–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herpin, P, Dividich, JL, Hulin, JC, Fillaut, M, De Marco, F and Bertin, R 1996. Effects of the level of asphyxia during delivery on viabitity at birth and early postnatal vitality of newborn pigs. Journal of Animal Science 74, 2067–2075.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoyt, AT, Browne, M, Richardson, S, Romitti, P, Druschel, C 2014. Maternal caffeine consumption and small for gestational age births: results from a population-based case-control study. Maternal and Child Health Journal 18, 1451–1540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirkwood, RN, Moller, K, Smith, WC, Lapwood, KR and Garrick, DJ 1985. The influence of allyl trenbolone (Regumate) on the timing, duration and endocrinology of parturition in sows. Animal Reproduction Science 9, 163–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, C, Dacquet, C, Mironneau, C and Mironneau, J 1989. Caffeine-inducted inhibition of calcium channel current in cultured smooth cells from pregnant rat myometrium. British Journal of Pharmacology 98, 493–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, C, Hyvelin, J–M, Chapman, KE, Marthan, R, Ashley, RH and Savineau, J–P 1999. Pregnant rat myometrial cells show heterogeneous ryanodine- and caffeine-sensitive calcium stores. American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology 277, C243–C252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Partosch, F, Mielke, H, Hahlmann, R and Gundert-Remy, U 2015. Caffeine intake in pregnancy: relationship between internal intake and effect on birthweight. Food and Chemical Toxicology 86, 291–297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savineau, J-P and Mironneau, J 1990. Caffeine acting on pregnant rat myometrium: analysis of its relaxant action and its failure to release Ca2+ from intracellular stores. British Journal of Pharmacology 99, 261–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Superchi, P, Mazzoni, C, Zanardelli, P, Piancastelli, C, Zambini, EM, Beretti, V and Sabbiono, A 2013. Effects of oral caffeine administration to sows with induced parturition on hypoxia in piglets. Livestock Science 157, 372–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Superchi, P, Saleri, R, Farina, E, Cavalli, V, Riccardi, E and Sabbiono, A 2016. Effects of oral administration of caffeine on some physiological parameters and maternal behaviour of sows at farrowing. Research in Veterinary Science 105, 121–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vanderhaeghe, C, Dewulf, J, Jourquin, J, De Kruif, A and Maes, D 2011. Incidence and prevention of early parturition in sows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 46, 428–433.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Dijk, AJ, van Rens, BT, van der Lende, T and Taverne, MA 2005. Factors affecting duration of the expulsive stage of parturition and piglet birth intervals in sows with uncomplicated, spontaneous farrowings. Theriogenology 64, 1573–1590.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zaleski, HM and Hacker, RR 1993. Variables related to the progress of parturition and probability of stillbirth in swine. Canadian Veterinary Journal 34, 109–113.Google Scholar