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Influence of Dietary Copper on Serum Growth-Related Hormone Levels and Growth Performance of Weanling Pigs

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Abstract

To investigate the effect of dietary copper on serum growth-related hormones levels and growth performance, a total of 60 weanling pigs were randomly assigned to six groups each containing 10 pigs, fed on basal diets supplemented with 0 (control), 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mg/kg copper sulfate for 80 days, respectively. The average daily gain (ADG), feed to gain ratio (F/G), feed intake and serum growth hormone (GH), insulin (INS), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels were detected at interval of 20 days. The results revealed that ADG, and serum GH, INS, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 concentrations were increased significantly in the pigs fed on diets added with 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mg/kg copper sulfate. Meanwhile, in the pigs supplemented with 250 mg/kg copper sulfate, ADG was increased significantly from the 40th to the 60th day of the experiment (P < 0.01), and the levels of GH, INS, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 in serum were elevated significantly from the 20th to the 40th day of the experiment (P < 0.01). It is concluded that effects of copper supplemented in the diet on the growth of pigs were related to the increasing levels of GH, INS, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 in serum which were induced by copper. High dietary copper increase the concentrations of growth-related hormones in serum, resulting in improving the growth performance of weanling pigs.

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Acknowledgments

The research was granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31472247, and 31502129), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (2014M560811), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2014YB014), and Scientific Research Foundation for Doctor (2013BSJJ014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Jianguo Wang, Yazhou Guo & Baoyu Zhao

  2. UMR 1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, Saclay, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Xiaoyan Zhu

  3. College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, Jilin, China

    Zhe Wang & Guowen Liu

  4. Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Yunhou Yin

Authors
  1. Jianguo Wang
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  2. Xiaoyan Zhu
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  3. Yazhou Guo
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  4. Zhe Wang
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  5. Baoyu Zhao
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  6. Yunhou Yin
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  7. Guowen Liu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Baoyu Zhao, Yunhou Yin or Guowen Liu.

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Northwest A&F University and Jilin University contributed equally to this study.

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Wang, J., Zhu, X., Guo, Y. et al. Influence of Dietary Copper on Serum Growth-Related Hormone Levels and Growth Performance of Weanling Pigs. Biol Trace Elem Res 172, 134–139 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0574-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-015-0574-2

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