title: Prenatal heat stress reduces male anogenital distance at birth and adult testis size, which are rescued by concurrent maternal Artemisia absinthium consumption.
abstract: Boars from sows with elevated plasma cortisol during pregnancy have shorter anogenital distance (AGD), a trait associated with subfertility. Since gestating sows often experience summer heat stress (HS), a mouse model was used to evaluate the effect of prenatal HS on AGD and fertility; efficacy of the heat stress-mitigating supplement Artemisia absinthium (AB) was also evaluated. Dams were treated from d 8-18 of gestation, residing in ambient temperatures from 0700 to 1900h. From 1900 to 0700h females were exposed to 34.13±0.27°C (HS) with access to water (HSW; n=9), HS with access to a 1% w/v decoction of AB (HSA; n=9), 20.81±0.20°C (thermal neutral; TN) with water (TNW; n=10) or TN with AB (TNA; n=10). Daily liquid consumption was measured from d 6-18, and tail temperature was recorded at 0700 and 1900h from d 8-18. Progeny weight and AGD were recorded at birth and weaning. At maturity, males were mated to non-littermate females from each treatment; these females were euthanized after 16 d of TN gestation. Reproductive traits were compared among all male/female treatment combinations; testes were weighed. Average liquid intake differed among treatments with HS and AB animals drinking more (P<0.0004). A treatment by time interaction for tail temperature (P<0.001) was observed; HS increased tail temperature of HSA and HSW animals similarly compared to TNA and TNW. Treatment affected (P<0.01) male birth AGD (HSW shortest; P<0.07). At maturity, HSW males also had the smallest testes (P<0.02). However, we observed no differences in fertility (P>0.10). These data indicate that in utero HS decreases both male birth AGD and adult testis size, effects which maternal AB consumption mitigates.
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Desaulniers
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lamberson
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address: safranskiT@missouri.edu.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Safranski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031171:Artemisia absinthium / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013737:Testis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Anogenital distance; Artemisia absinthium; Prenatal heat stress; Testis