PSIX-30 - Modulating Action of Fish Oil on Serum Profiles of Pigs Exposed to Prenatal Inflammatory Signals

Inflammatory signals elicited in response to stressors during gestation can affect fetal development and can have prolonged postnatal effects in the offspring. The objectives of the present study were to assess the effects of viral infection during gestation on nursed piglets, and to investigate possible modulating effects of fish oil. A total of 36 pigs were studied, distributed across three gilt treatment groups and sexes within treatment group. One-third of the piglets served as reference, being born from gilts that were not exposed to viral infection and receiving a non-supplemented diet. Another third of the piglets were born from gilts that were challenged with porcine reproductive and respiratory virus during the last third of gestation and receiving a non-supplemented diet. The remaining piglets were born from gilts that were challenged with the virus and were supplemented with fish oil (2.5 g of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaeonic acid). All gilts received diets that met nutritional requirements during gestation and lactation (~90% corn and soybean meal). The piglets remained with the gilts and nursed until 22 d of age at which time blood was drawn and the levels of metabolic parameters were measured. The immune challenge during gestation had a significant effect on the level of globulin (P < 0.02). The globulin levels were higher in female piglets from gilts infected during gestation relative to control gilts. The blood level of triglycerides was similar between piglets from reference gilts and viral-infected gilts supplemented with fish oil, and lower than in piglets from non-supplemented infected gilts. Our results demonstrate that fish oil supplementation can modulate effects of infection during gestation on the piglet. This study is supported by USDA NIFA AFRI, grant number 2018-67015-27413.