Adipokine gene transcription level in adipose tissue of runt piglets

Runt piglets were used as a model for neonatal stress to test the hypothesis that stress during the pre-weaning period can alter adipokine gene transcription levels. Runts were selected by birth mass < 1 kg and compared to littermates (controls) of mean litter weight. Subcutaneous (SQ) and perirenal (PR) adipose tissues were collected at d1 (n = 5), d7 (n = 7) or d21 (n = 9) of age. Real time PCR was used to quantify mRNA abundance for: leptin, adiponectin, interleukin 1β (IL1β), IL6, IL8, IL10, IL15, tumor necrosis factor α, haptoglobin, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), monocyte chemotactic protein, vascular endothelial growth factor and cyclophilin. Leptin and adiponectin mRNA abundance were lower, while IL1β, IL6, IL10 and MIF mRNA abundance were higher in SQ of runts than controls at d1 (P < 0.05). Leptin, IL6, IL10, haptoglobin and MIF mRNA abundance were higher in PR from runts than controls at d7 (P < 0.05) and MIF mRNA abundance was elevated by 30 fold in PR of runts at d21 (P < 0.001). Thus, stressors affecting neonatal runts produce different responses in adipokine gene transcription by PR and SQ than in normal sized littermates.