The Vitamin E-Deficiency Syndrome in Pigs

Summary

In four experiments performed to study the pathology of vitamin E-deficiency in pigs (Nafstad & Tollersrud 1970) serum enzyme determinations were carried out in order to obtain some information about the development of the deficiency syndrome.

The enzymes determined were aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT = GOT), alanine aminotransferase (AlAT = GPT), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Blood samples were taken every second week during the experiments, which lasted for three to four months each and included a total number of 112 animals. At death or slaughter organs were removed in two experiments for determination of tissue homogenate transferase activity.

A good correlation was shown to exist between the levels of serum enzyme activity and the frequency of pathological changes found at necropsy. Vitamin E-supplemented pigs showed enzyme values within normal ranges, whereas animals supplemented with selenium or amino acids and non-supplemented lots showed increased levels. To a certain extent differential diagnoses between the organs most affected could also be made on the basis of the enzyme values, though the complex nature of the deficiency syndrome in some cases rendered this more hypothetical.

Gastric ulcers gave no elevation of serum enzyme activity.

An inverse correlation was found between transferase activity in serum and tissue homogenates. Vitamin E-deficient pigs with high serum values yielded lower tissue enzyme activity than animals in the corresponding supplemented lots.

Pigs fed the highest dietary protein levels showed the highest tissue transferase activity. This was most marked for liver homogenates.