title: Spray-dried plasma attenuates inflammation and improves pregnancy rate of mated female mice.
abstract: Three studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary spray-dried plasma (SDP) might improve pregnancy rate by ameliorating inflammation, using mice in an experimental model that produces a low pregnancy rate. Mated female mice (C57BL/6 strain) were purchased and shipped from a vendor (Bar Harbor, ME) to the university facility (Urbana, IL) on the day the vaginal plug was found (gestation day [GD] 1), arriving at the laboratory on GD 3 after 2 d transport by air and ground. Mice (Exp. 1: n = 250, 16.0 ± 1.2 g BW; Exp. 2: n = 202, 16.2 ± 1.2 g BW; Exp. 3: n = 156, 16.4 ± 1.1 g BW) were housed in individual cages and randomly assigned to dietary treatments (Exp. 1: 0 [CON] and 8% SDP in the diet, ≥ 90 mice/diet; Exp. 2: 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8% SDP in the diet, ≥ 40 mice/diet; Exp. 3: 0, 1, and 8% SDP in the diet, 48 mice/diet) fed from arrival. In Exp. 1 and 2, pregnancy of each mouse was determined on GD 17 based on BW, shape of abdomen, and inspection postmortem, and maternal growth performance from GD 3 to 17 was measured. On GD 19, pregnant mice in Exp. 2 were euthanized to measure number of fetuses and fetal and placental weights. Pregnancy rates in CON were low in both Exp. 1 (11%) and Exp. 2 (7%). The SDP consistently and markedly increased (P < 0.05) pregnancy rates in both Exp. 1 (49%) and Exp. 2 (35-43%) compared with the CON. In Exp. 3, 12 randomly selected mice were euthanized immediately after they arrived as an initial group. From GD 4 to 7, randomly selected mice were also euthanized each day (12 mice/diet). After euthanasia, the abdominal cavity was opened to check pregnancy by uterine inspection and to collect blood and uterus samples for immune measurements. The SDP increased (P < 0.05; 40 vs. 15%) pregnancy rate compared with the CON. Concentrations of indicators of inflammation and stress (uterine TNF-α and IFN-γ, and serum TNF-α, C-reactive protein, and cortisol) were greatest (P < 0.05) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine (TGF-β1) was lowest (P < 0.05) soon after arrival, on GD 3 or 4. The SDP decreased (P < 0.05) the uterine concentrations of TNF-α and IFN-γ, and serum TNF-α, C-reactive protein, and cortisol, compared with the CON, but increased (P < 0.05) the uterine concentration of TGF-β1. In conclusion, dietary SDP improves the low pregnancy rates in this model, apparently by attenuating inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Che
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Soares-Almeida
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: APC Inc., Ankeny, IA 50021.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: APC Inc., Ankeny, IA 50021.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.affiliation: APC Inc., Ankeny, IA 50021.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Crenshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biosystem Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea 305-764.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801 jepettig@illinois.edu.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pettigrew
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D016207:Cytokines; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010063:Ovum; D010949:Plasma; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: immune responses; mated female mice; pregnancy rate; reproductive performance; spray-dried plasma