Effects of Acute Gold Exposure and Age on Respiratory Quotients in Piglets 1

Summary

Respiratory exchange was measured in piglets aged either 12 or 84 hr, first at thermoneutrality (35°) and then in the cold (5°). Mean RQ for 12-hr-old piglets were 0.95 at 35° and 0.90 at 5°; for 84-hr-olds, 0.90 at 35° and 0.85 at 5°. Significant effects of environmental temperature (p>.01) and age (p>.05) were found. There was no significant interaction between temperature and age; piglets of both ages had depressed RQ in the cold and older piglets had lower RQ at both environmental temperatures. These results were interpreted to mean that the proportionate fat-catabolic rate was higher during cold stress than at thermoneutrality and that it was higher in both environments at 3 days of age than at 12 hr.