Fifteen second-parity sows were used to determine the importance of vitamin E (E) and selenium (Se) supplementation of the sow's diet and colostrum consumption by the neonatal pig on tolerance to parenteral iron. Selenium (.1 ppm) and E (50 IU/kg) supplementation of the diet of the sow increased plasma tocopherol and Se concentrations, but did not increase plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. Colostrum had greater concentrations of E (primarily alpha-tocopherol) and Se than milk. Plasma biological antioxidant status (tocopherol level and GSH-Px activity) of pigs at birth was very low, but by 2 d of age had increased, especially in alpha-tocopherol (nearly a 20-fold increase). Liveability and body weight gain of pigs were not affected by the pre-colostrum iron injection (200 mg Fe as gleptoferron); however, plasma tocopherol concentrations of Fe-injected pigs were lower and plasma Se concentration and GSH-Px activities were higher at 2 d of age than values of pigs not receiving parenteral Fe. Supplementation of the dam's diet with E and Se maintained high tocopherol and Se levels in her colostrum and milk and a high biological antioxidant status in her pigs throughout the nursing period.

The purpose of this work was to determine the in vivo effect of β-guanidinopropionic acid (β-GPA) on the metabolism of creatine. Diets containing the synthetic creatine analogue, β-GPA, were fed to pregnant female and young male rats.All rats receiving diets containing β-GPA developed the following signs of abnormal creatine metabolism: reduced muscle levels of creatine, reduced urinary excretion of creatinine, and an increase in urinary excretion of creatine.Twelve hours after an injection of creatine-1-14C, rats fed β-GPA had a lower radioactivity level (c.p.m.) in muscle but a higher level in urine than did rats fed the same diet without β-GPA.It is proposed that abnormal creatine metabolism results from an inhibition of creatine entry into muscle from plasma by β-GPA.

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