RESUMO
BACKGROUND: A reason for the digestive problems that often occur around early weaning in piglets could be that the pancreas is not yet fully developed and the enzymes required for degradation of the solid food are not secreted in enough amounts. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of inducing pancreas maturation with enhanced enzyme secretion. METHODS: 10-day-old suckling pigs were gavage fed with a red kidney bean lectin preparation for 3 days, and the pancreatic response to intravenous infusion of CCK-33 was measured in the anaesthetized animals fitted with pancreatic duct catheters. RESULTS: The pancreatic fluid secretion, protein output, and the trypsin and amylase outputs were significantly increased in response to CCK stimulation after the lectin treatment, as compared to those of the control littermates (p < or = 0.05). In addition, the plasma insulin basal levels and those observed during CCK-33 stimulation were lower in the lectin-treated piglets. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the lectin treatment led to an increase in the capacity for pancreatic enzyme secretion in the suckling piglets. An enhanced pancreatic function might help to ameliorate the problems that may appear in modern pig production which are associated with weaning.
