The effect of periconceptional undernutrition of sheep on the cognitive/emotional response and oocyte quality of offspring at 30 days of age.
Maternal periconceptional undernutrition is associated with altered development and increased risks of adverse outcomes in the offspring. This circumstance is normal in flocks under extensive farming systems, which depend on natural forage resources. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of periconceptional undernutrition in sheep on behavioral and reproductive aspects of the offspring. Eighty ewes were synchronized in estrus and allocated to two groups (n=40) to be fed diets that provided 1.5 (C) or 0.5 (L) times the requirements for maintenance. Ewes were mated and 7 days later fed the control diet until lambing. One month after lambing, 32 lambs were exposed to tests to determine their cognitive and emotional responses. Six ewe lambs were euthanized and in vitro maturation and fertilization procedures were performed. L ewes presented a significant reduction in prolificacy and fecundity (P<0.05) in comparison with C ewes. Mean LW at lambing of L lambs was significantly higher than C lambs (C: 3.80 ± 0.11; L: 4.24 ± 0.15 kg, P<0.05). Lambs born from C ewes spent more time walking than L lambs (P<0.05) in the isolation test, revealing a decrease in the locomotor activity of lambs born from undernourished ewes around conception. Ewe lambs from the undernourished ewes presented a total population of oocytes 2.3 times higher than ovaries from control ewe lambs (60.0 ± 7.8 v. 140.0 ± 18.5 oocytes; P<0.05). In conclusion, periconceptional undernutrition is able to produce an increment in the body weight and the oocyte population, and an alteration of the locomotor activity of the offspring.
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
J A
JA
Abecia
2 Depart de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
A
A
Casao
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
M
M
Pascual-Alonso
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
S
S
Lobón
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
L A
LA
Aguayo-Ulloa
3 Laboratorio de Técnicas Nucleares, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
A
A
Meikle
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
F
F
Forcada
4 Dept de Anatomía Patológica, Medicina Legal y Forense y Toxicología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
C
C
Sosa
5 Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
R H
RH
Marín
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
M A
MA
Silva
1 Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
G A
GA
Maria
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000662:veterinary; D059471:In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000662:veterinary*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D012756:Sheep / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*