title: Dietary L-arginine supplementation during gestation in mice enhances reproductive performance and Vegfr2 transcription activity in the fetoplacental unit.
abstract: Regarded as one of the most versatile amino acids, arginine serves as a precursor for many molecules and has been reported to improve the reproductive performance of rats and pigs. To this end, we sought to determine if dietary L-arginine alters fetoplacental vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (Vegfr2) transcription activity. Eighteen wild-type FVB/N female mice were bred to homozygous FVB/N-Tg(Vegfr2-luc)-Xen male mice. Bred female mice received 1 of 2 experimental diets: one supplemented with 2.00% (wt:wt) L-arginine (+Arg) or 1 supplemented with 4.10% (wt:wt) alanine (+Ala) to serve as an isonitrogenous control for +Arg. In addition, 6 mice were fed a nonsupplemented control (Con) diet to normalize bioluminescent imaging data. All data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Fisher's least significant difference. Total feed intake did not differ between groups; however, mice in the +Arg group consumed more arginine (P < 0.05). Arginine supplementation increased weight gain during the latter one-third of gestation (d 12- 18), total litter size, number of pups born alive, number of placental attachment sites, litter birth weight, and litter weight of pups born alive but decreased the individual birth weights (P < 0.05). During d 12-18, arginine supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the mean total Vegfr2 transcription activity and Vegfr2 transcription activity corrected for fetoplacental mass. Moreover, mice in the +Arg group had an earlier rise in Vegfr2 transcription activity. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the beneficial effect of dietary L-arginine supplementation on mammalian reproduction is associated with enhanced Vegfr2 transcription activity in fetoplacental tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Chad W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Dunaway
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rude
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Feugang
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001120:Arginine; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2