title: Swine generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer have increased incidence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
abstract: While somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been successful in several species, many pregnancies are lost and anomalies are found in fetal and perinatal stages. In this study SCNT and artificial inseminations (AI) populations were compared for litter size, average birth weight, piglets alive at birth, stillborn, mummies, dead at the first week, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and large for gestational age (LGA). Twenty-three SCNT litters (143 individuals) were compared to 112 AI litters (1300 individuals). Litter size average was 11.5 for AI and 6.2 for SCNT. Litter weight and average birth weight adjusted by litter size were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in AI than in SCNT litters. The SCNT population had a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the number of IUGRs per litter with LSmeans 7.2 +/- 1.4 versus 19.4 +/- 3.5 and means 8.0 +/- 10.8 versus 15.5 +/- 24.5 for AI and SCNT, respectively. Additionally, there was a trend for higher postnatal mortality and stillbirths in the SCNT population. These findings demonstrate that there are some differences between SCNT-derived and AI litters. SCNT-derived pigs are excellent models to study epigenetic factors and genes involved in IUGRs, and to develop effective means to improve fetal growth in humans and animals.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Bashir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Abby
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: York
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Petters
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Piedrahita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation; D007315:Insemination, Artificial; D008098:Litter Size / Q000502:physiology*; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D013552:Swine