Transgenic pigs expressing bovine growth hormone had lower appetites,
enlarged organs, gastric ulcers, and other health problems.
Manipulated Organism:
Pig (Sus domesticus).
Inserted Transgenes:
Bovine growth hormone (bGH) gene, with expression controlled by the mouse
metallothionein promoter.
Goal of This Study:
Compare the growth and overall health of pigs expressing bovine growth
hormone with their non-transgenic siblings.
Intended Effect:
The transgenic animals gained weight 10-15% more quickly than their
non-transgenic siblings.
Unintended Effects:
-
Despite their faster growth rate, the transgenic pigs ate 10-20% less.
According to the authors, appetite suppression is also observed in pigs
receiving growth hormone by injection.
-
The weights of the heart, liver, kidneys, and adrenals in the transgenic
pigs all increased relative to their total body weight.
-
Autopsies were conducted on 5 transgenic and 3 non-transgenic pigs.
Five out of 5 transgenic pigs had gastric ulcers, 4 out of 5 suffered from
joint inflammation, and 4 out of 5 had enlarged nuclei in cardiac cells.
None of the 3 non-transgenic pigs displayed these symptoms.
-
The authors noted that the transgenic pigs were lethargic and
uncoordinated, and the boars lacked libido.
Source:
Pursel, V. G., C. A. Pinkert, K. F. Miller, D. J. Bolt et al. (1989).
"Genetic Engineering of Livestock," Science vol. 244, pp. 1281-8.
Author Affiliations:
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD; University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; University of Washington, Seattle.
Funding:
National Institutes of Health, U.S.
Product Status:
Not on the market as of 2009.
Copyright 2009 The Nature
Institute.
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