The effects of iron deficiency on the level of oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in suckling piglets

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of iron deficiency on the oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in suckling piglets. Piglets in the experimental group were given no iron supplement till the age of 21 days. Piglets in the control group were injected i.m. with gleptoferronum at the age of 3 days. Blood samples were taken at 3, 21, 28, and 35 days of age and examined for haematological and biochemical indices. Iron deficiency in the experimental group resulted in the development of anaemia. Significantly lower ceruloplasmin activities in blood plasma were found in the anaemic piglets. The other biochemical indices of the oxidative status (thiobarbituric acid reacting substances, carbonyl proteins, super oxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) were comparable between the experimental and the control group. It can be concluded that apart from lower ceruloplasmin activities the oxidative status of piglets was not affected negatively by iron deficiency. Anaemia, haematology, ceruloplasmin, swine, carbonyl proteins Iron is an important mineral for swine. Its deficiency has caused serious problems in pig production. The iron requirements of suckling piglets cannot be covered by the foetal reserves only. This results in iron deficiency and the development of anaemia in the first days of life (Venn et al. 1947). Most of the total body iron is found in haemoglobin (HGB), which is responsible for oxygen transport. The cellular energy metabolism is dependent on oxygen, therefore, anaemia can have a major impact on the organism (Nagababu et al. 2008). Apart from direct effects on haemoglobin synthesis, iron deficiency can affect the function of many enzymes containing iron (Fe) such as cytochromes, catalase and peroxidase (Rockey and Cello 1993). The effects of iron deficiency on piglets have not yet been fully investigated. There are some reports that document the influence of iron deficiency on the immune function (Svoboda et al. 2004) and concentrations of thyroid hormones in suckling piglets (Faj t et al. 2016). Oxidative stress has the potential to impact the functions and survival of the organism (Yin et al. 2013). It is not yet clear whether iron deficiency can also influence the level of oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses of the organism. Studies conducted on human patients and rats offer contradictory and limited data on this issue. For instance, Kumerova et al. (1998) found an increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant defenses in human patients with iron deficiency anaemia. On the other hand, Acharya (1991) found that there was no evidence of an increased susceptibility of RBC (red blood cell count) to lipid peroxidation in iron deficiency. ACTA VET. BRNO 2017, 86: 365–371; https://doi.org/10.2754/avb201786040365 Address for correspondence: MVDr. Bc. Jonáš Vaňhara Ruminant and Swine Clinic Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic Phone: +420 541 562 437 E-mail: vanharaj@vfu.cz http://actavet.vfu.cz/ To our knowledge there are no reports dealing with this issue in piglets. Therefore, the aim of our trial was to evaluate the effects of iron deficiency on the level of oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in suckling piglets. Materials and Methods Experimental design A total of 20 piglets of Landrace × Czech Large White breed before weaning were used in the study. The piglets were weaned at the age of 28 days. They were kept under the standard conditions of farrowing units. Two different litters from two sows were used. They were fed with a standard “KPK diet” (with iron concentration of 160 mg/kg of feed) 14 days before parturition until weaning. The piglets were fed with a standard feed mixture “Weaning pellets gr” (with iron concentration of 101 mg/kg of feed) and “Starter gr” (with iron concentration of 101 mg/kg of feed). The diets were produced by De Heus a.s. , Marefy, Czech Republic. We used the principle of split litters. All piglets were marked with a plastic ear tag. The piglets were weighed before each sampling. We used standard certificated and serviced laboratory scale to determine the weight of piglets. All animals used in this trial were kept in these groups until weaning and one week after. Group E was the experimental group with no iron supplementation after birth. Group C was the control group with iron supplementation after birth. The piglets in the control group (C) were given a single i.m. injection of iron at a dose of 200 mg/ml in the form of the gleptoferronum complex as 1 ml of Gleptosil inj. 100 ml (CEVA ANIMAL HEALTH Slovakia, s.r.o.) at the age of 3 days. The piglets in the experimental group (E) were given a single i.m. injection of iron at a dose of 200 mg/ml in the form of the gleptoferronum complex as 1 ml of Gleptosil inj. 100 ml (CEVA ANIMAL HEALTH Slovakia, s.r.o) at the age of 21 days. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno.