Hu Lingling, Lu Jinxin, Guo Liangliang, Tan Jiajian, Sun Haiqing, Zhou Yuanfei, Wu Yinghui, Wei Hongkui, Jiang Siwen, Peng Jian
Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
YangXiang Joint Stock Company, Guigang, 537000, China.
Porcine Health Manag. 2023 May 23;9(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s40813-023-00318-w.
Leg weakness affects animal welfare and is one of the primary reasons for culling of boars. Low bone mineral density (BMD) is one of the primary factors contributing to leg weakness. Low BMD also appeared to be associated with severe bone pain and has the highest risk of skeletal fragility. Surprisingly, few studies have been performed on the factors influencing BMD in pigs. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to identify the influencing factors on boar BMD. Herein, the BMD data were determined through the use of ultrasonography from 893 Duroc boars. Logistic regression model was utilized in the analysis of BMD, in which the explanatory variables in the model were lines, ages, body weights, backfat thicknesses and serum mineral element concentrations (Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Se, Pb and Cd).
Results showed that factors significantly influencing BMD included serum Ca, P concentrations, ages and backfat thicknesses (P < 0.05), in which serum Ca concentrations were positively correlated with BMD (P < 0.01), whereas increasing concentrations of serum P decreased BMD (P < 0.01). The serum Ca/P ratio showed significant quadratic effects on BMD (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), and the Ca/P ratio to achieve the best BMD was determined to be 3.7. Furthermore, BMD also changed with age quadratically (r = 0.40, P < 0.01), and reached a peak value around 47 months. Interestingly, a quadratic (r = 0.26, P < 0.01) increase in the BMD was observed as backfat thickness increased, and the inflection point was calculated at around 17 mm.
In conclusion, BMD characteristics of boars could be detected by ultrasonic method, and serum Ca, serum P, age, and backfat thickness contributed to the greatest effect on BMD.
腿部无力会影响动物福利，是公猪被淘汰的主要原因之一。低骨矿物质密度（BMD）是导致腿部无力的主要因素之一。低骨矿物质密度还似乎与严重的骨痛有关，并且具有最高的骨骼脆弱风险。令人惊讶的是，关于影响猪骨矿物质密度的因素的研究很少。因此，本研究的主要目的是确定影响公猪骨矿物质密度的因素。在此，通过超声检查测定了893头杜洛克公猪的骨矿物质密度数据。在骨矿物质密度分析中使用了逻辑回归模型，其中模型中的解释变量为品系、年龄、体重、背膘厚度和血清矿物质元素浓度（钙、磷、镁、铜、铁、锌、锰、硒、铅和镉）。
结果表明，显著影响骨矿物质密度的因素包括血清钙、磷浓度、年龄和背膘厚度（P < 0.05），其中血清钙浓度与骨矿物质密度呈正相关（P < 0.01），而血清磷浓度升高则降低骨矿物质密度（P < 0.01）。血清钙磷比对骨矿物质密度有显著的二次效应（r = 0.28，P < 0.01），确定达到最佳骨矿物质密度的钙磷比为3.7。此外，骨矿物质密度也随年龄呈二次变化（r = 0.40，P < 0.01），并在47个月左右达到峰值。有趣的是，随着背膘厚度增加，骨矿物质密度呈二次增加（r = 0.26，P < 0.01），拐点计算约为17毫米。
总之，公猪的骨矿物质密度特征可以通过超声方法检测，血清钙、血清磷、年龄和背膘厚度对骨矿物质密度的影响最大。
