title: Effects of maternal over- and undernutrition on intestinal morphology, enzyme activity, and gene expression of nutrient transporters in newborn and weaned pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been suggested that maternal nutrition during gestation is involved in the offspring's intestinal development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal nutrition on digestive and absorptive function of offspring at both birth and weaning with pig as model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen primiparous Landrace × Yorkshire gilts (ages 253 ± 9 d; body weight 148.6 ± 6.9 kg) were allocated to a normal nutrition (control) group as recommended by the National Research Council (NRC; 1998), an undernutrition (UN) group (75% of NRC recommendations), and an overnutrition (ON) group (150% of NRC recommendations); the nutritional treatments were introduced from day 1 of gestation to farrowing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By comparison, the small intestine weight (+33%; P < 0.01) and the ratio of small intestine weight to length (+25%; P < 0.05) for the ON group were higher than those for the control group. Meanwhile, the maternal ON treatment had significant effect on the activity of brush border lactase in the jejunum (+125%; P < 0.05) at birth. Expression of mRNA for SGLT1, GLUT2, PEPT1, and GLP2R were significantly increased (+1.7∼9.6-fold; P < 0.05) in jejunum of newborn or weaned piglets from the ON group; whereas maternal UN significantly affected small intestine weight (-28%; P < 0.01), length, and the ratio of weight to length (-11% and -19%; P < 0.05, respectively), and villus height (-29% and -22%; P < 0.05, respectively) in jejunum and ileum. Furthermore, maternal UN enhanced the activity of brush border lactase in the jejunum of newborn piglets (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal ON enhanced intestinal function via up-regulating digestive enzyme activities and gene expression of transporters in both newborn and weaning piglets. Maternal UN impaired fetal intestinal development that could be partially compensated during the neonatal period.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Lianqiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Che
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Guoqi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Zhengfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Shengyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistant Nutrition of the Ministry of Education of China, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China. Electronic address: pig2pig@sina.com.
authors.forename: De
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001692:Biological Transport; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D015870:Gene Expression; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D043322:Lactase / Q000378:metabolism*; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008871:Microvilli / Q000378:metabolism; D044343:Overnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043322:Lactase
keywords: Enzymes; Maternal nutrition; Pigs; Small intestine; Transporter