BODY-WEIGHT GAIN IS CORRELATED WITH SERUM-CHOLESTEROL AT 8 WEEKS OF AGE IN PIGS SELECTED FOR 4 GENERATIONS FOR LOW OR HIGH SERUM-CHOLESTEROL

We determined the relationship of BW at birth, weaning (4 wk of age), and 8 wk of age to serum total cholesterol (C), high-density lipoprote in-cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) at 8 wk of age in pigs, from the fourth generation that had been selected for low (10 litters , 75 pigs, LC) or high (10 litters, 63 pigs, HC) C at 8 wk of age. Mea n C concentration at 8 wk of age was 81 +/- 30 mg/dL for LC groups and 136 +/- 19 mg/dL for HC groups. Serum C, HDL-C, and TG concentrations were not correlated with birth weight, suggesting that the physiologi cal factors that may cause reduced weight gain in older animals are no t operative in newborn pigs. All three constituents were correlated (P < .05) with BW at weaning and at 8 wk. However, only 4% of the variat ion in weight at weaning and 7% at 8 wk could be explained by a relati onship with serum TG. There was a positive correlation between C and B W at 8 wk (r = .46, P < . 05), which was apparent within the subgroups of LC and HC females and LC males (r = .46, .48, .68, respectively); the correlation was low (r = .26) in HC males.