Congenital Ascorbic Acid Deficiency in Pigs

Abstract

In a swine production herd, spontaneous scurvy was observed among piglets 2–3 weeks after weaning. All affected pigs had the same boar as both maternal and paternal grandfather. The affected pigs had only traces of ascorbic acid in blood and tissues as compared to litter mates and other normal pigs. The ratio between the total numbers of normal and affected pigs in the 4 litters concerned was in agreement with a 3:1 segregation, which is characteristic of simple autosomal recessive inheritance in matings between non-affected carriers.

Two affected pigs were restored to normal when given ascorbic acid in the diet. Without vitamin C supplement affected pigs died or had to be euthanized.

Liver microsomes from an affected pig were unable to synthesize ascorbic acid in vitro with 1-gulonolactone as a substrate, unlike microsomes from normal control pigs.

Sammendrag

I en svineproduktionsbessetning blev der diagnosticeret sk0rbug hos nogle smågrise 2—3 uger efter fravaenningen. Alle afficerede grise havde den samme orne til såvel morfar som farfar. Hos afficerede grise fandtes kun spor af ascorbinsyre i blod og organer sammenlignet med kuldsøskende og andre normale grise. Forholdet mellem det samlede antal normale og afficerede grise i de relevante kuld var i overens-stemmelse med den forventede 3:1 udspaltning, som er karakteristisk for simpel autosomal recessiv arvegang ved parring mellem ikke afficerede anlsegsbserere.

To afficerede grise blev rekonstituerede ved ascorbinsyretilsœt-ning til foderet, Afficerede grise, der ikke fik vitamin G tilskud, døde af sk0rbug eller matte af lives for at undgå un0dig lidelse.

I modsaetning til normale kontrolgrise kunne levermicrosomer fra en afficeret gris ikke danne ascorbinsyre in vitro med 1-gulonolacton som substrat.