Starvation hypoglycemia in newborn pigs

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Abstract
The effect of fasting on changes in blood glucose, plasma free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, and growth hormone (GH) was measured in pigs from birth to 3 weeks of age. In newborn pigs, blood glucose levels fell with 72 hr. of fasting to hypoglycemic levels; concurrently, GH levels increased and insulin and FFA decreased. In contrast, 4-day, 1-, 2-, and 3-week-old animals maintained normal blood glucose levels after a similar period of starvation. In the latter, a prompt elevation in FFA levels occurred with fasting. Liver glycogen content was high at birth (14.8 g/100 g), but disappeared promptly with starvation. The data indicate that gluconeogenesis is impaired in the newborn pigs associated with a decrease in FFA.