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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312004
Title: Effects of maternal nutrition and arginine supplementation on postnatal liver and jejunal oxygen consumption and hypothalamic neuropeptide content in ovine offspring

Author
item PREZOTTO, LIGIA - North Dakota State University
item Thorson, Jennifer
item BOROWICZ, PAWEL - North Dakota State University
item DORSAN, SHERI - North Dakota State University
item PEINE, JENA - North Dakota State University
item Lents, Clay
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University
item SWANSON, KENDALL - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Endocrine Reviews
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/23/2014
Publication Date: 4/1/2015
Citation: Prezotto, L.D., Thorson, J.F., Borowicz, P.P., Dorsan, S.T., Peine, J.L., Lents, C.A., Caton, J.S., Swanson, K.C. 2015. Effects of maternal nutrition and arginine supplementation on postnatal liver and jejunal oxygen consumption and hypothalamic neuropeptide content in ovine offspring [abstract]. Endocrine Reviews. 36(2):Abstract #SAT-552.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Maternal nutrient restriction during gestation exerts long-term effects on offspring health and performance. Energy utilized by fetal visceral tissues can be altered in response to changes in maternal feed intake. Prolonged nutritional changes during early pregnancy can impact hypothalamic neuropeptide mRNA and protein expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the offspring. Arginine supplementation has been shown to rescue some of the negative effects of intra-uterine growth restriction on the fetus. We tested the hypothesis that maternal arginine supplementation from d 75 of pregnancy until parturition would rescue the deleterious effects of nutrient restriction on hepatic and jejunal energy use and hypothalamic protein expression of POMC, NPY, and AgRP in female offspring (n = 18). Multiparous ewes (54 ± 4 days of gestation) were randomly assigned to dietary treatment; 100% of requirements (control, CON), 60% of control (restricted, RES), or RES plus rumen-protected arginine (180 mg/kg; RES-ARG). At parturition, offspring were immediately removed from their dam and placed on a common diet. At 54 ± 3 days of age, lambs were weighed and euthanized. The liver and jejunum were recovered and weighed. In vitro O2 consumption was conducted to estimate energy use in liver and jejunum samples (n = 6 per treatment). Liver O2 consumption (mol/min/liver and mol/min/kg BW) was reduced (P <= 0.02) in the RES and RES-ARG group when compared with CON. Immunohistochemistry assays were conducted to analyze for NPY and AgRP protein content in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, and POMC protein content in the arcuate nucleus (ARC; n = 3-4 per treatment). Intensity of staining for NPY tended to be reduced (P = 0.10) in RES and RES-ARG when compared with CON. Number of POMC cells in the ARC were reduced (P <= 0.03) in the RES group when compared with RES-ARG. In conclusion, maternal nutrient restriction did not influence lamb BW, liver and jejunum mass, jejunum energy use, NPY or AgRP protein content in the PVN, and POMC protein content in the ARC. Further, supplementation of arginine to the gestating ewe failed to influence hepatic energy use in lambs from restricted ewes; however, number of POMC-containing cells was increased in the ARC, which could potentially influence feeding behavior and energy metabolism.