There was no interactive effect of diet and N-balance
period on any of the blood profile (Table 3). The
N-balance period effect for blood haptoglobin, albumin,
and fibrinogen concentrations was large (P < 0.001).
Both haptoglobin and fibrinogen concentrations
increased during ISS whereas albumin concentrations
were reduced. There was a dietary treatment effect on
the plasma concentration of albumin (P = 0.01). This
difference is attributed to the greater plasma albumin
concentration in pigs consuming the 0.42 M:M+C diet
before the ISS period (P < 0.05; Table 4).
There were no block and diet effects or interactive
effect of time and diet on eye temperature (data not
shown) whereas there was a time effect (P < 0.001). Eye
temperature was greater at 2, 6, 48, 96, and 144 h after
the start of ISS compared with the prechallenge value
(time 0; P < 0.02), confirming effective ISS.