title: Effect of dietary beta-carotene on the early embryonic development and uterine fluid composition of gilts.
abstract: The role of beta-carotene in reproduction was investigated in gilts assigned to three dietary supplementations: VA (4000 IU vitamin A); VA + VA (4000 IU + 8300 IU); VA + BC (4000 IU + 100 mg beta-carotene) per kg diet for 14 weeks. Gilts were slaughtered at day 12 of gestation. In the VA + BC group, number of corpora lutea was lowest, but the number of embryos was greatest, resulting in a non-significant decreased prenatal mortality (p<0.07). The proportion of less developed spherical and tubular embryos compared with filamentous was greatest in the VA + BC group (p<0.01). No differences were observed for vitamin A and retinal binding protein (RBP) in the uterine fluid. When animals were grouped according to the development of blastocysts, vitamin A and RBP levels were higher in the VA + BC group with only filamentous embryos (p<0.01). This indicates that the supplementation of beta-carotene to gilts might affect embryonic losses possibly because of slower alterations in the uterine environment, resulting in a higher and less variable number of embryos, despite an apparently more heterogeneous development.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. fjschwei@rz.uni-potsdam.de
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Schweigert
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schnurrbusch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schams
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gropp
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A