title: Reproductive, endocrine and metabolic feto-maternal features and placental gene expression in a swine breed with obesity/leptin resistance.
abstract: The current study was conducted in a swine breed (Iberian pig) with a genotype that predisposed the pig to obesity. The aim of the study was to determine the morphological, metabolomic and endocrine features of early conceptuses and to elucidate how placental gene expression (related to placentation, angiogenesis and fetal nutrition), maternal hormones and the metabolome affect the fetal environment and fetal growth. Conceptus viability and growth were found to be related to maternal endocrine (plasma progesterone levels) and metabolic features (plasma levels of leptin, cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c and triglycerides). These features were related to the placental expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and leptin (LEP) genes, the placental efficiency and, thus, the nutrition and the metabolism of the fetus (availability of glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol, as HDL-c). Viability of conceptuses in females with evidence of dyslipidemia (low plasma levels of total cholesterol due to low HDL-c concentration but high levels of triglycerides) was diminished. The availability of nutrients and metabolic substrates to the conceptus was also affected in females with higher fat deposition and evidence of dyslipidemia. In conclusion, the conceptus viability and growth appear to be strongly related to maternal metabolic features and, thus, affected in females with alterations in lipid metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Reproduccion Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias, 28040 Madrid, Spain. bulnes@inia.es
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Bulnes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torres-Rovira
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ovilo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Astiz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gomez-Izquierdo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Añover
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pallares
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Perez-Solana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Sanchez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D055442:Metabolome / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010060:Ovulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A