Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Effects of Dietary Chromium(III) Picolinate on Growth Performance, Vital Signs, and Blood Measurements of Pigs During Immune Stress

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This experiment used 24 pigs (26.0 kg) to investigate the effects of dietary chromium (Cr) on pigs challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Following 35 days of diet exposure, the immune stress treatments were: (1) phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) injection and no Cr, (2) LPS injection and no Cr, (3) LPS injection and Cr 1,000 ppb, and (4) LPS injection and Cr 2,000 ppb. At 0 h, PBS or LPS was injected intraperitoneally in each pig. During the first 12 h post-injection, pigs challenged with LPS lost 951 g, while the PBS group gained 170 g (p < 0.001). Compared with the PBS group, LPS-challenged pigs consumed less feed (p < 0.01) during the first 24 h. The LPS group had higher rectal temperature at 2 and 4 h and higher respiratory rate at 1.3 and 8.5 h than the PBS group (p < 0.05). Plasma collected at 3 h had higher cortisol (p < 0.001) and lower glucose (p < 0.05) concentrations in the LPS group than the PBS group. However, supplemental Cr did not affect the response variables. Overall, the LPS challenge affects growth performance, vital signs, and plasma variables, but dietary Cr is unable to moderate stress-related effects associated with an LPS challenge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schwarz K, Mertz W (1959) Chromium(III) and the glucose tolerance factor. Arch Biochem Biophys 85:292–295

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Offenbacher EG, Pi-Sunyer GX (1988) Chromium in human nutrition. Ann Rev Nutr 8:543–563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mertz W, Toepfer EW, Roginski EE, Polansky MM (1974) Present knowledge of the role of chromium. Fed Proc 33:2275–2280

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Davis CM, Vincent JB (1997) Chromium in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. J Biol Inorg Chem 2:675–679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Vincent JB (2000) The biochemistry of chromium. J Nutr 130:715–718

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Chang X, Mowat DN (1992) Supplemental chromium for stressed and growing feeder calves. J Anim Sci 70:559–565

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. National Research Council (1997) The role of chromium in animal nutrition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stahly TS, Cromwell GL (1979) Effect of environmental temperature and dietary fat supplementation on the performance and carcass characteristics of growing and finishing swine. J Anim Sci 49:1478–1488

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kim BG, Lindemann MD, Cromwell GL (2009) The effects of dietary chromium(III) picolinate on growth performance, blood measurements, and respiratory rate in high and low ambient temperature. J Anim Sci 87:1695–1704

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Brumm MC, Miller PS (1996) Response of pigs to space allocation and diets varying in nutrient density. J Anim Sci 74:2730–2737

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Barnett JL, Cronin GM, McCallum TH, Newman EA (1993) Effects of ‘chemical intervention’ techniques on aggression and injuries when grouping unfamiliar adult pigs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 36:135–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Marchant JN, Mendl MT, Rudd AR, Broom DM (1995) The effect of agonistic interactions on the heart rate of group-housed sows. Appl Anim Behav Sci 46:49–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. National Research Council (1998) Nutrient requirements of swine, 10th edn. National Academy Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  14. Webel DM, Finck BN, Baker DH, Johnson RW (1997) Time course of increased plasma cytokines, cortisol, and urea nitrogen in pigs following intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide. J Anim Sci 75:1514–1520

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Sahin K, Ozbey O, Onderci M, Cikim G, Aysondu MH (2002) Chromium supplementation can alleviate negative effects of heat stress on egg production, egg quality and some serum metabolites of laying Japanese quail. J Nutr 132:1265–1268

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Burton JL, Mallard BA, Mowat DN (1993) Effects of supplemental chromium on immune responses of periparturient and early lactation dairy cows. J Anim Sci 71:1532–1539

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Burton JL, Nonnecke BJ, Dubeski PL, Elsasser TH, Mallard BA (1996) Effect of supplemental chromium on production of cytokines by mitogen-stimulated bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Dairy Sci 79:2237–2246

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chang X, Mallard BA, Mowat DN (1996) Effects of chromium on health status, blood neutrophil phagocytosis and in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis of dairy cows. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 52:37–52

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. van Heugten E, Spears JW (1997) Immune response and growth of stressed weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with organic or inorganic forms of chromium. J Anim Sci 75:409–416

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lee DN, Weng CF, Yen HT, Shen TF, Chen BJ (2000) Effects of chromium supplementation and lipopolysaccharide injection on physiological responses of weanling pigs. Asian-Aust J Anim Sci 13:528–534

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. van de Ligt JLG, Lindemann MD, Harmon RJ, Monegue HJ, Cromwell GL (2002) Effect of chromium tripicolinate supplementation on porcine immune response during the postweaning period. J Anim Sci 80:449–455

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Page TG, Southern LL, Ward TL, Thompson DL Jr (1993) Effect of chromium picolinate on growth and serum and carcass traits of growing-finishing pigs. J Anim Sci 71:656–662

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Lindemann MD, Cromwell GL, Monegue HJ, Purser KW (2008) Effect of chromium source on tissue retention of chromium in pigs. J Anim Sci 86:2971–2978

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Warren EJ, Finck BN, Arkins S, Kelley KW, Scamurra RW, Murtaugh MP, Johnson RW (1997) Coincidental changes in behaviour and plasma cortisol in unrestrained pigs after intracerebroventricular injection of tumor necrosis factor-α. Endocrinol 138:2365–2371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sakumoto R, Kasuya E, Komatsu T, Akita T (2003) Central and peripheral concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α in Chinese Meishan pigs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. J Anim Sci 81:1274–1280

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Johnson RW, von Borell E (1994) Lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior in pigs is inhibited by pretreatment with indomethacin. J Anim Sci 72:309–314

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Mao XF, Piao XS, Lai CH, Li DF, Xing JJ, Shi BL (2005) Effects of beta-glucan obtained from the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus and lipopolysaccharide challenge on performance, immunological, adrenal, and somatotropic responses of weanling pigs. J Anim Sci 83:2775–2782

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Frank JW, Mellencamp MA, Carroll JA, Boyd RD, Allee GL (2005) Acute feed intake and acute-phase protein responses following a lipopolysaccharide challenge in pigs from two dam lines. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 107:179–187

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Morrow-Tesch JL, McGlone JJ, Salak-Johnson JL (1994) Heat and social stress effects on pig immune measures. J Anim Sci 72:2599–2609

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hicks TA, McGlone JJ, Whisnant CS, Kattesh HG, Norman RL (1998) Behavioral, endocrine, immune, and performance measures for pigs exposed to acute stress. J Anim Sci 76:474–483

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Myers MJ, Farrell DE, Evock-Clover CM, McDonald MW, Steele NC (1997) Effect of growth hormone or chromium picolinate on swine metabolism and inflammatory cytokine production after endotoxin challenge exposure. Am J Vet Res 58:594–600

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. McMahon M, Gerich J, Rizza R (1988) Effects of glucocorticoids on carbohydrate metabolism. Diabetes Metab Rev 4:17–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The present manuscript is based on research supported in part by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by the Kentucky Agric. Exp. Stn. as paper no. 08-07-023. The authors express appreciation to Susan Hayes and Aitor Balfagon for technical assistance in data collection and to David Higginbotham for help in diet preparation. The authors also thank APC, Inc., Ankeny, IA and Akey, Inc., Lewisburg, OH for ingredients used in the experiment. During this research, B. G. Kim was a recipient of the Kentucky Opportunity Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA

    Beob G. Kim, Merlin D. Lindemann & Gary L. Cromwell

Authors
  1. Beob G. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Merlin D. Lindemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gary L. Cromwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Merlin D. Lindemann.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, B.G., Lindemann, M.D. & Cromwell, G.L. The Effects of Dietary Chromium(III) Picolinate on Growth Performance, Vital Signs, and Blood Measurements of Pigs During Immune Stress. Biol Trace Elem Res 135, 200–210 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8503-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-009-8503-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation