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Advances in Pig Reproductive Endocrinology
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Advances in Pig Reproductive Endocrinology

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 8273

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marta Kiezun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego St. 1A., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; adipokines; uterus; HPG axis; ovaries; pig
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Katarzyna Kisielewska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; adipokines; uterus; HPG axis; pituitary; ovaries; pig
Dr. Marlena Gudelska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; adipokines; uterus; HPG axis; ovaries; pig
Dr. Agata Żmijewska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: pig; reproduction; uterus; ovary; pituitary; endometrium; myometrium; oviduct; pregnancy; omics techniques; in vitro culture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pig is one of the most economically important farm species worldwide. Advances in pig reproductive endocrinology have significantly impacted the swine industry in recent years.

Despite the fact that over the past three decades efficient breeding and management has almost doubled the litter size in this species, it was estimated that about 20 to 40% of morphologically and genetically normal embryos are lost during the early phases of pregnancy. On the other hand, a large litter may be challenging for the pig's metabolism, leading to difficulties in resuming ovarian cyclicity after weaning, especially in young animals. Other important factors affecting pig reproductive health are environmental endocrine disruptors that may influence the functioning of both female and male hormonal balance. To meet these challenges, new strategies in synchronization protocols, artificial insemination techniques, hormone treatments, embryo transfer, and genomic selection have to be developed, based on in-depth knowledge of pig reproductive endocrinology.

This Special Issue focuses on recent innovative advances in pig reproduction strategies that aim to improve reproductive efficiency, as well as newly discovered factors affecting the functioning of organs and tissues related to reproduction in this species.

Dr. Marta Kiezun
Dr. Katarzyna Kisielewska
Dr. Marlena Gudelska
Dr. Agata Żmijewska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pig
  • reproduction
  • endocrinology
  • hormones
  • artificial insemination
  • estrus cycle synchronization
  • embryo transfer
  • genomic selection
  • pregnancy
  • litter
  • implantation
  • weaning
  • omics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4211 KB  
Article
Bone Growth and Development in Different Breeds of Piglets at the Early Age Is Associated with Mineral Deposition
by Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Chenjian Li, Yating Cheng, Bo Song, Sujuan Ding, Zhenlei Zhou, Qian Zhu and Xiangfeng Kong
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3536; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243536 - 8 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1440
Abstract
The growth and development of skeletal structures in young animals are important for their overall health and productivity. Deciphering variations in bone growth among pig breeds can optimize breeding strategies and improve animal welfare. This study explored differences in the bone growth and [...] Read more.
The growth and development of skeletal structures in young animals are important for their overall health and productivity. Deciphering variations in bone growth among pig breeds can optimize breeding strategies and improve animal welfare. This study explored differences in the bone growth and development of different pig breeds at the early growth stages. A total of 120 newborn piglets from Taoyuan black (TB), Xiangcun black (XB), and Duroc piglets, from 30 sows (litter sizes 9–11), were selected to assess their bone growth and development at four different ages (including at 1, 10, 21, and 24 days old). The results showed that the bone length and weight of femur, tibia, rib, and lumbar vertebrae among different pig breeds increased with age. Compared to Duroc piglets, XB and TB piglets exhibited a shorter bone length and lighter bone weight of those four bones at different ages (p < 0.05). XB piglets showed shorter bone length of femur, tibia, and lumbar vertebrae at weaning (21 days old), and a lighter bone weight and lower bone mineral content of those three bones at weaning and three days after weaning (24 days old) compared to TB piglets (p < 0.05). Bone breaking load increased with age, with Duroc piglets exhibiting higher bone breaking load at 10 days old (p < 0.05). Bone mineral density, ash content, and Ca and P deposition varied by breed and age, and TB piglets had a higher bone mineral density at 21 days old compared to XB piglets. In summary, Chinese native piglets have slower bone growth than Duroc piglets, but TB piglets exhibit higher mineral deposition compared to XB piglets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pig Reproductive Endocrinology)
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10 pages, 1417 KB  
Communication
Effects of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) Plasmid Treatment on the Reproductive Productivity of Sows in Primiparous and Multiparous Sow Breeds
by Min Jung Kim, Ji-Yong Park, Chang-Soo Cho, Ye Jin Yang, Ji Woong Heo, Woo H. Kim, Hu-Jang Lee and Kwang Il Park
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081148 - 10 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2719
Abstract
The effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plasmid treatment on sow reproductive performance was examined. Forty pregnant sows (three-way crossbreed: Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) at 85 days of gestation were included in the study and consisted of twenty primiparous and twenty multiparous [...] Read more.
The effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plasmid treatment on sow reproductive performance was examined. Forty pregnant sows (three-way crossbreed: Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) at 85 days of gestation were included in the study and consisted of twenty primiparous and twenty multiparous sows (third parity). Sows were randomly assigned to the control and treatment groups. The treatment group received 5 mg dose of GHRH plasmid injection via electroporation, whereas the control group received a phosphate buffer solution. Reproductive indicators, including serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration and weaned piglet data, were assessed. In the GHRH plasmid-treated group, serum IGF-1 concentration significantly increased compared with that in the control group, a trend observed in primiparous and multiparous sows. The key indicator of reproductive performance, litter size, showed that for control primiparous sows (C-PS), it was 10.90 ± 0.99 kg, while for control multiparous sows (C-MS), it was 14.00 ± 0.67 kg. Furthermore, for primiparous sows treated with GHRH plasmid (G-PS), the litter size was 11.60 ± 0.97 kg, and for multiparous sows treated with GHRH plasmid (G-MS), it was 14.00 ± 0.82 kg. The GHRH plasmid-treated group also exhibited a higher number of total births and surviving piglet numbers, along with a decrease in stillborn piglets; however, there was no significant difference in birth weight. The results suggest that GHRH plasmid treatment can enhance the reproductive performance of sows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pig Reproductive Endocrinology)
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14 pages, 1669 KB  
Article
Effect of Day Length on Growth and Gonadal Development in Meishan Male Pigs
by Naisheng Lu, Hao Yuan, Xueyuan Jiang, Hulong Lei, Wen Yao, Peng Jia and Dong Xia
Animals 2024, 14(6), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060876 - 13 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2416
Abstract
Day length is a critical environmental factor for regulating animal growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different day lengths on the developmental changes of growth parameters, testicular sizes, testosterone secretion in Meishan male pigs, and steroidogenesis proteins and [...] Read more.
Day length is a critical environmental factor for regulating animal growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different day lengths on the developmental changes of growth parameters, testicular sizes, testosterone secretion in Meishan male pigs, and steroidogenesis proteins and melatonin receptors. Fourteen Meishan male pigs (10 weeks (wks) of age) with the same parity, paired in litter and body weight (BW), were evenly allocated into a short-day-length group (SDL, 10 light/14 dark) and long-day-length group (LDL, 14 light/10 dark). After 12 wks of the experiment, the LDL-treated boars had more lying time and less exploring time. The LDL treatment led to significant increases in body height, chest circumference, testicular length, testicular weight, crude protein digestibility, and fecal testosterone at the 10th and 12th wks of the experiment, and cortisol at the 10th wk, compared to the SDL treatment, with no differences in the final BW, testicular width, and epididymis weight. Furthermore, the LDL treatment significantly increased the protein levels of melatonin receptor 1b (MT2), aromatase (CYP19), and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) in the testis, with no differences in the protein levels of melatonin receptor 1a (MT1), steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), and cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc). The present study suggests that day length has an effect on the growth and gonadal development in male pigs maybe via MT2 and influences steroid synthesis and secretion in the testis. Therefore, proper day length should be considered in male pig breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pig Reproductive Endocrinology)
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