EFFECTS OF YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA INFECTION ON GROWTH OF THE BODY AND INTERNAL ORGANS IN NEWBORN COLOSTRUM-DEPRIVED PIGLETS

Yersinia enterocolitica enteritis in newborn, colostrum-deprived pigle ts fed a human milk formula caused a reduced milk intake and decreased gain in weight but not length of the body. Ln infected piglets, the w eight of the liver was less than in controls but other abdominal organ s were unaffected. The weight of the caecum and small intestinal muscl e were greater, but the length and weight of the small intestine and c olon were not different. In infected piglets, the RNA concentration of the small intestinal mucosa was elevated whereas the concentrations o f DNA and protein were unchanged, and total lactase activity was reduc ed. After antibiotic therapy, the liver weight was greater and the bod y weight increased at the same rate as the controls but was still lowe r at 14 days. The body weight of the control piglets increased linearl y over the 14 days after birth. The stomach, pancreas and spleen grew more rapidly, but the liver more slowly, than the body as a whole but the kidneys had a minimum relative weight at 5 days. The total lactase activity and protein and RNA concentrations of the small intestinal m ucosa decreased with age, the RNA to a greater extent than the protein .