Efficiency of threonine utilization in the growing pigs / Eficiencia del uso de treonina para cerdos en fase de crecimiento

Objective. This study aimed to determine the marginal efficiency of threonine utilization in growing pigs by using the nitrogen balance technique. Materials and methods. Twelve castrated pigs with an average live weight of 72±2 kg were housed in metabolic cages maintained in a temperature controlled room of 22±3°C. The treatments consisted of four diets calculated to meet 30, 45, 60 and 70% of the nutritional requirements of standardized ileal digestible threonine. The amino acids others than threonine were maintained at least 15% above threonine requirements, expressed in terms of ideal levels. The amount of feed supplied was calculate to provide 2.6 times the metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance and adjusted daily according to an expected daily gain rate of 0.8 kg. Results. Pigs consumed 1.65 g kg-1 BW0.75 nitrogen daily, on average and 61% was retained and, as a result, 39% was excreted, being 31% through the feces and the remainder (69%) in the urine. The pigs showed a linear retention of threonine in response to the increase of standardized threonine intake. For each gram of standardized threonine intake 0.37 g were lost during the metabolism. Conclusions. It is concluded that for calculating nutritional requirements of standardized threonine of pigs by the factorial method, it is possible to use the utilization marginal efficiency of 0.63.

Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la eficiencia marginal del uso de treonina para cerdos en fase de crecimiento, por medio de la técnica de balance de nitrógeno. Material y métodos. Fueron utilizados doce cerdos machos castrados con peso promedio de 72±2 kg alojados en jaulas metabólicas climatizadas a una temperatura ambiente de 22±3°C. Los tratamientos consistieron en cuatro dietas calculadas para 30, 45, 60 y 70% de las necesidades nutricionales de treonina digestible estandarizada. Los demás aminoácidos se añadieron a las dietas para lograr una proporción de al menos 15% de sus necesidades expresadas con relación a la treonina. La cantidad de alimento proporcionado se calculó para suministrar 2.6 veces la energía metabolizable y ajustada todos los dias, según una tasa de ganancia media diaria de 0.8 kg. Resultados. Los cerdos consumieron 1.65 g kg-1 PV0.75 de nitrógeno por dia. En promedio 61% de nitrógeno ingerido se conservó y 39% fue excretado por el animal. El 31% se excretó en las heces y el resto (69%) en la orina. Los cerdos mostraron una retención lineal de treonina, con relación al aumento en la ingesta de treonina digestible estandarizada. Por cada gramo de treonina digestible estandarizada ingerido 0.37 g se perdieron durante el metabolismo. Conclusiones. Se concluye que, para el cálculo de las necesidades nutricionales de treonina digestible estandarizada para cerdos por método factorial, es posible utilizar la eficiencia marginal del uso de treonina a 0.63.

Restless legs syndrome during pregnancy in Brazilian women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) among pregnant Brazilian women, with individual diagnostic clinical interviews during the trimesters of pregnancy, and to determine the severity. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study. We interviewed 524 pregnant women (18-45 years old) who came to the prenatal outpatient clinic to consult an obstetrician. We used a RLS clinical-diagnostic interview and the International RLS Study Group rating scale (IRLS). RESULTS: The prevalence of RLS during pregnancy was 13.5% in our sample, among which 90.1% of the cases started with their symptoms during pregnancy. More than half of the patients (53.5%) presented severe or very severe symptoms and the largest proportion of them (15.2%) were in their third trimester. We did not observe any demographic differences among the trimesters for RLS prevalence and RLS severity. CONCLUSION: RLS during pregnancy is more frequent than in the general population, such that more than half of the pregnant women with RLS present it severely or very severely. It occurs especially in the third trimester.