Question

The gluconeogenic mechanism is under developed in new born pigs and so they suffer from :

• A. Hyperglycemia of newborn baby pigs
• B. Hypoglycemia of newborn baby pigs
• C. Anemia
• D. Ketosis

Hint:

Newborn piglets are highly prone to two major clinical conditions:
1. Hypoglycemia (due to poor fat reserves and underdeveloped gluconeogenesis).
2. Iron deficiency anemia (due to rapid growth and lack of iron in sow's milk).
Providing a warm environment and early colostrum intake are critical to prevent hypoglycemia.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Newborn mammals require a reliable source of blood glucose to support brain function and systemic metabolism.
During the first few days of life, they rely heavily on hepatic glycogen stores and the development of gluconeogenesis to maintain glucose homeostasis.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Newborn piglets are uniquely susceptible to developing severe metabolic crises due to several physiological factors:
First, piglets are born with extremely low body fat reserves (approximately \(1\%\) of body weight) and limited hepatic glycogen stores.
Second, their hepatic gluconeogenic pathway (the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors) is functionally immature at birth.
This pathway takes several days to become fully active and responsive to hormonal signals.
Because of this underdeveloped gluconeogenic mechanism, piglets cannot synthesize glucose endogenously if they do not receive colostrum or milk immediately after birth.
Within \(24-48\) hours of starvation or cold stress, their blood glucose levels can plummet from a normal \(80-100 \text{ mg/dL}\) to below \(40 \text{ mg/dL}\).
This profound state of Hypoglycemia causes weakness, hypothermia, convulsions, coma, and rapid mortality.
- Anemia (C) is also common in piglets but is caused by iron deficiency, not a gluconeogenic defect.
- Ketosis (D) and Hyperglycemia (A) are not the primary pathologies associated with this neonatal developmental delay.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Due to an underdeveloped gluconeogenic pathway, newborn pigs are highly susceptible to Hypoglycemia.