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The effects of dietary nucleotide supplementation from 9 days of age until the end of post-weaning on piglets hormonal and immune responses and on growth performance were investigated. During lactation (days 9 to 21) and post-weaning (days 22 to 55) 10 [HBI Fomeva11 3 (Large White 3 Landrace)] litters (n 5 108 piglets) had ad libitum access to two standard diets, both supplemented with 0% (T0 group) or 0.1% (T1 group) of yeast extract nucleotides. BW of piglets at days 21 (P , 0.10), 35 and 55 (P , 0.05) was greater in T1 compared with T0. Feed intake was not different between groups (P . 0.05). Cortisol content was lower in T1 than in T0 at days 28 and 35 (P , 0.05), whereas growth hormone was lower at day 35 (P , 0.05). Levels of IGF-1 were similar across groups (P . 0.05). Nucleotide-supplemented diets increased lymphocyte subpopulation CD42CD81 high at days 21 and 35 (P , 0.05), whereas CD41CD82 cells were higher in T1 than in T0 at day 21 (P , 0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells cytokine expression was influenced by dietary nucleotide supplementation. At weaning, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1b expression was lower (P , 0.05) in T1 compared with T0, whereas the expression of interferon (IFN)-g and IL-10 was higher (P , 0.05). At day 28, piglets in T1 showed higher values of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a expression than T0 and lower values of IL-10 expression (P , 0.05). Dietary nucleotide supplementation had a suppressive effect on IL-6 and IL-10 expression (P , 0.05) at day 35. On the contrary, the expression of IFN-g, TNF-a and IL-1b was enhanced (P , 0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that starting a dietary nucleotide supplementation before weaning can improve the adaptive capabilities of weaned piglets to the stressors, enhancing the growth performance.

The authors prospectively studied the natural course of cardiac involvement and its relationship to cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG) expansion in 50 patients with myotonic dystrophy who were submitted to periodic cardiovascular EKG and EKG-Holter monitoring during a median follow-up of 56 months. Nineteen patients (38%) developed major EKG changes. CTG length was not correlated with the frequency of EKG abnormalities, but was inversely correlated with the age at onset of EKG abnormalities (p < 0.0001). CTG length influences the timing of cardiac complications in myotonic dystrophy.

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