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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426460
Research Project: Environmental and Management Influences on Animal Productivity and Well-Being Phenotypes

Location: Livestock Issues Research

Title: Gilt uterine gland number density is not affected pre- or post-puberty by maternal immune stimulation in late gestation

Author
item SWANSON, REBECCA - South Dakota State University
item MUSLAND, KEYAHNA - South Dakota State University
item DOBBINS, THOMAS - Texas Tech University
item HERNANDEZ, M.S. - Texas Tech University
item PUTNAM, MARGARET - University Of Missouri
item HIRCHERT, MARA - North Dakota State University
item MONTGOMERY, VIRGINIA - North Dakota State University
item BOROWICZ, PAWEL - North Dakota State University
item PETRY, AMY - University Of Missouri
item Sanchez, Nicole
item LEGAKO, JERRAD - Texas Tech University
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University
item REYNOLD, LARRY - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Uterine glands provide critical nutrients during pregnancy, but uterine gland number is fixed shortly after birth. Thus, we sought to determine if maternal immune stimulation would decrease uterine gland number in offspring. Pregnant sows were treated on day 77 of gestation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, n = 4), vaccine (VAC, n = 3), or saline (CON, n = 3). Postnatal gilts were selected from each treatment group for sampling. Reproductive tracts were collected from half of the gilts pre-puberty and the remaining half post-puberty. The uterus was weighed and uterine cross sections were collected from four non-sequential mid-horn segments, fixed, embedded, and sectioned in triplicate. Sections were stained using hematoxylin and eosin, imaged, and assessed for the number of deep and superficial uterine glands per area (number density). Data were analyzed by ANOVA for the fixed effect of treatment. Statistical significance was considered at P = 0.05. In the pre-pubertal phase, there were no differences in deep or superficial uterine gland number per area among treatment groups. However, uterine weight tended to be reduced in gilts from the VAC group compared with the CON and LPS groups. In the post-pubertal phase, there were no differences in deep or superficial uterine glands per area among treatment groups. However, uterine weight was decreased in the CON group compared with the VAC and LPS groups. Gestational immune stimulation does not affect uterine gland number per uterine area in offspring; however, it does alter uterine weight, and thus affects the total number of uterine glands.