Plasma gastrin in the pig from birth to weaning

Mean (±SEM) plasma gastrin concentration was measured as 84·4 ± 7·0 pmol litre −1 by radioimmunoassay in 35 newly born pigs within one hour of birth but, two-and-a-half hours later, after sucking, it had decreased to 34·9 ±3·6 pmol litre −1 . Significant increases (P —1 at one week, 174·8 ± 15·7 pmol litre −1 at two weeks and 91·4 ± 9·6 pmol litre −1 at three weeks after birth. On weaning, at four weeks old, plasma gastrin concentration was 26·0 ± 1·7 pmol litre −1 and at five and six weeks old it was 56·7 ± 4·4 and 54·7 ± 3·9 pmol litre −1 , respectively.