[Changes in lipid levels in the blood of pregnant sows].

Variations of plasma volume (PV) and variations of triglyceride, cholesterol, total lipid, beta-lipoprotein and phospholipid concentrations in the blood plasma were investigated in trials with ten sows, crossbreds of the White Thoroughbred and Landrace breeds, at the age of 2-3 years, kept on a defined diet; the trials were performed before the sows became pregnant and during their pregnancy (days 1-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81-100 and 101-120). The PV in nonpregnant sows is 9.8 +/- 0.33 1. Following a decrease to the values of 7.8 +/- 0.33 l (p less than 0.01) in the first 40 days of pregnancy the plasma volume increases in the successive periods and it makes 15.4 +/- 0.19 l at the end of pregnancy (p less than 0.001). Total lipaemia decreases during pregnancy from 2.80 +/- 0.054 in nonpregnant sows to 2.49 +/- 0.245 g per 1 in sows at the end of pregnancy. Cholesterol concentrations in the blood plasma also decrease from 2.48 +/- 0.53 in nonpregnant ones to 1.88 +/- 0.173 mmol per 1 (p less than 0.001) in sows at the end of pregnancy, beta-lipoprotein concentrations from 3.95 +/- 1.134 in nonpregnant ones to 3.47 +/- 0.199 g per l in sows on days of pregnancy 81-100 (p less than 0.05), phospholipid concentrations in the first 60 days of pregnancy from 1.62 +/- 0.079 before insemination to 1.29 +/- 0.05 mmol per l in sows of 41-60 day pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)