1
|
Nery da Silva A, Alves L, Osowski GV, Sabei L, Ferraz PA, Pugliesi G, Marques MG, Zanella R, Zanella AJ. Housing Conditions and a Challenge with Lipopolysaccharide on the Day of Estrus Can Influence Gene Expression of the Corpus Luteum in Gilts. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050769. [PMID: 35627154 PMCID: PMC9141224 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The corpus luteum (CL) is a temporary endocrine gland that plays a decisive role in the reproductive physiology of gilts. Recently, it has been suggested that exogenous factors may compromise the normal functioning of the CL. In the present study, we aimed to understand to what extent an acute and systemic challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the day of estrus could compromise gene expression of gilts’ CLs housed in different welfare conditions. For this, we housed 42 gilts in three different housing systems: crates, indoor group pens, and outdoor housing. Then, we challenged six females from each group with LPS and eight with saline (SAL) on the day of estrus. After slaughtering the gilts on the fifth day after the challenge, ovaries were collected for gene expression analysis by RT-qPCR. Housing system and LPS challenge did not have a significant interaction for any genes evaluated; thus, their effects were studied separately. We identified significant (p < 0.05) downregulation of the angiogenic genes VEGF and FTL1 among LPS-challenged animals. Meanwhile, we also observed upregulation of HSD3B1 gene among LPS-challenged animals. We found that STAR and LHCGR genes were differentially expressed depending on the housing system, which indicates that the environment may affect adaptation capabilities. Our results indicate that an acute health challenge on the estrus day alters CL gene expression; however, the role of the housing system remains uncertain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Nery da Silva
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (A.N.d.S.); (L.A.); (G.V.O.); (L.S.)
| | - Luana Alves
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (A.N.d.S.); (L.A.); (G.V.O.); (L.S.)
| | - Germana Vizzotto Osowski
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (A.N.d.S.); (L.A.); (G.V.O.); (L.S.)
| | - Leandro Sabei
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (A.N.d.S.); (L.A.); (G.V.O.); (L.S.)
| | - Priscila Assis Ferraz
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (P.A.F.); (G.P.)
| | - Guilherme Pugliesi
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (P.A.F.); (G.P.)
| | - Mariana Groke Marques
- Embrapa Suínos e Aves, Concórdia 89715-899, SC, Brazil;
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Produção e Sanidade Animal, Instituto Federal Catarinense—IFC, Concórdia 89703-720, SC, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Zanella
- School of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil;
| | - Adroaldo José Zanella
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 05508-070, SP, Brazil; (A.N.d.S.); (L.A.); (G.V.O.); (L.S.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Almeida FRCL, Dias ALNA. Pregnancy in pigs: the journey of an early life. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2022; 78:106656. [PMID: 34474228 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2021.106656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Embryo mortality is responsible for greater losses in litter size in pigs. It is well known that pregnancy establishment is a complex process, and important changes occur continuously in both the corpora lutea and the endometrium, which varies depending on the pre-natal development phase: embryonic, pre-implantation or fetal stages. The placenta is a key organ responsible for the exchange of nutrients, metabolites and respiratory gases between mother and fetuses. The porcine placenta is diffuse, epitheliochorial, and placentation begins with implantation, which involves specialized cell adhesion and cell migration, leading to the attachment of the trophectoderm to the uterine endometrial lumen epithelium. The efficiency with which the placenta provides adequate amounts of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus is crucial for proper fetal growth and development. In the last decades, emphasis on selection for sow prolificacy has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of piglets born per litter, which had a direct effect on piglet quality, compromising birth weight and litter uniformity. Placental insufficiency will lead to fetal intrauterine growth restriction. This review addresses the main events of early embryo development, including preimplantation and implantation periods. In addition, placentation and its role on fetal development are covered, as well as intrauterine growth restriction, as it is a natural condition in the pig, with long lasting detrimental effects to the production chain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F R C L Almeida
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, CEP 31207-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - A L N Alvarenga Dias
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Rodovia BR-050, km 78 - CEP 38410-337, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Souza ACF, Machado-Neves M, Bastos DSS, Couto Santos F, Guimarães Ervilha LO, Coimbra JLDP, Araújo LDS, Oliveira LLD, Guimarães SEF. Impact of prenatal arsenic exposure on the testes and epididymides of prepubertal rats. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 333:109314. [PMID: 33171135 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic is a pollutant widely found in the environment due to natural and anthropogenic sources. Exposure to arsenic forms in drinking water has been related with male reproductive dysfunctions in humans and experimental animals at adult age. However, the impact of this pollutant on postnatal reproductive development of male offspring exposed in utero to arsenic is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal arsenic exposure on the postnatal development of the testes and epididymides of rats, during prepuberty. For this purpose, pregnant female Wistar rats were provided drinking water containing 0 or 10 mg/L sodium arsenite (AsNaO2) from gestational day 1 (GD 1) until GD 21 and the male offspring was evaluated in different periods of prepuberty. Our results showed that prenatal arsenic exposure affected the initial sexual development of male pups, reducing their body weight and relative anogenital distance at postnatal day 1. At different periods of prepuberty, male pups from arsenic exposed dams showed a reduction of body and reproductive organs weights, testosterone levels and testis morphometric parameters. Moreover, these pups presented changes in the expression of SOD1, SOD2, CAT and GSTK1 genes and in the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione s-transferase in the testes and epididymides during prepuberty. Taken together, our results show that prenatal arsenic exposure provoked reproductive disorders in prepubertal male rats, probably due to reproductive reprograming and oxidative stress induced by this pollutant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cláudia Ferreira Souza
- Department of Animal Biology, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Mariana Machado-Neves
- Department of General Biology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Couto Santos
- Department of General Biology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Costa KA, Saraiva A, Guimarães JD, Marques DBD, Machado-Neves M, Barbosa LMR, Villadiego FAC, Veroneze R, Oliveira LFD, Garcia IS, Teixeira SA, Guimarães SEF. Dietary L-arginine supplementation during early gestation of gilts affects conceptuses development. Theriogenology 2019; 140:62-71. [PMID: 31445222 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
l-arginine supplementation of sows has led to improvement of reproductive performance, but the mechanisms responsible for the positive effects of arginine during gestation on conceptuses survival and development are still poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to evaluate effects of 1.0% l-arginine supplementation (ARG) on phenotypic traits of commercial gilts, embryos and fetuses, concentration of gilts' blood metabolites, expression of developmental and cellular apoptosis genes in conceptuses of 25 and 35 days. At 25 days, IGF1 gene was more expressed in embryos from ARG than in embryos from control gilts (CON) (P = 0.05). At this same gestational age, ARG embryos tended to be heavier compared to CON (P = 0.07) and ARG gilts showed a trend to have a greater arginine concentration in blood plasma (P = 0.06). However, at 35 days of gestation, arginine concentration in blood plasma of ARG gilts tended to be lower compared to CON (P = 0.06) and ARG fetuses showed smaller cephalic-caudal length (P = 0.05). These results indicate that duration of supplementation is determinant for arginine effects, not only on the females performance but also on the conceptuses, since supplementation upregulated IGF1 expression at 25 days, in addition to the reduction of cephalic-caudal length of 35-day fetuses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Assis Costa
- Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Alysson Saraiva
- Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - José Domingos Guimarães
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Renata Veroneze
- Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | | | - Ingrid Soares Garcia
- Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Susana Amaral Teixeira
- Animal Science Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Faria VRD, Pinho RO, Camilo BS, Guimarães JD, Fonseca E Silva F, Lopes PS, Silva PV, Teixeira SA, Veroneze R, Penitente-Filho JM, Guimarães SEF. Genes expression and phenotypic differences in corpus luteum and cumulus cells of commercial line and piau breed gilts. Theriogenology 2019; 136:111-117. [PMID: 31254724 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to characterize the expression of angiogenesis-related genes in corpus luteum (CL) and cumulus cells (CC) during estrous cycle in gilts of different genetic groups, as well as to study the relation between gene expression and phenotypic data. Forty five gilts were used as follows: L1, Commercial Line 1 (Large White x Landrace x Duroc) (n = 15); L2, Commercial Line 2 (Large White x Landrace x Pietrain) (n = 15); and Piau, Piau breed gilts (n = 15). Estrus observation started from 120 days of age. After the second observed estrus females were slaughtered (n = 3) on days 3, 5, 10, 14 and 18 of estrous cycle (first day of estrous cycle as Day 0). CL sampling was performed on days 3, 5, 10 and 14 and collection of CC and follicular fluid on days 14 and 18. Follicular fluid was used for analysis of estradiol levels and CC and CL samples for analysis of angiogenesis-related genes expression, ANGPT-1/-2 and TEK in CC and MMP-2, VEGFA, VEGFR-1/-2, ANGPT-1/-2 and TEK in CL. Piau gilts showed lower ovulation rate than both L1 and L2 gilts (P < 0.05), lower number of large antral follicles (>6 mm) at 18 days than L2 gilts (P < 0.05), and smaller diameter of the largest follicles at 14 days than L1 gilts (P < 0.05). Piau and L2 gilts showed higher estradiol levels in follicular fluid on day 18. Expression of ANGPT-1 and -2 genes in CC did not differ among genetic groups neither among days of the estrous cycle, but TEK gene expression was higher in L1 than L2 gilts on day 18. Expression of VEGFA, VEGFR-2 and MMP-2 genes in CL did not differ among genetic groups and days of cycle, but VEGFR-1 expression was higher in Piau than L2 gilts on days 10 and 14, and it was higher in L1 than L2 gilts on day 14. The ANGPT-1/-2 and TEK genes expression in CL were significantly higher in Piau than L1 gilts on day 10. The ANGPT-2/ANGPT-1 gene expression ratio in CL was higher in L1 than Piau and L2 gilts at 14 days, suggesting a shorter luteal phase for L1 gilts. Results indicated differences among genetic groups for the pattern of the angiogenesis-related genes expression in CL along estrous cycles, which may be reflected in phenotypic traits such as ovulation rate, estradiol levels in follicular fluid and number and diameter of antral follicles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Breno Soares Camilo
- Department of Veterinary, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Paulo Sávio Lopes
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Renata Veroneze
- Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|