title: Intestinal development of bovine foetuses during gestation is affected by foetal sex and maternal nutrition.
abstract: We aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal nutrition (MN) and foetal sex on the intestinal development of bovine foetuses throughout different days of gestation (DG). Forty-four multiparous, dry Holstein × Gyr cows with average initial body weight of 480 ± 10 kg were fed the same diet of either restricted feeding at 1.15% of body weight (CO, n = 24) or fed ad libitum (overnourished, ON, n = 20). Six cows from CO group and five cows from ON group were slaughtered at 139, 199, 241 and 268 DG, and foetuses were necropsied to evaluate the intestinal development. The mass, length and density of foetal intestines were not affected by MN (p ≥ 0.260). An interaction between MN and DG was observed for the villi length of jejunum (p = 0.006) and ileum (p < 0.001). Villi length of jejunum and ileum was higher (p < 0.10) in foetuses from ON-fed cows than in foetuses from CO-fed cows at 139 DG. However, at 199 DG, the villi length of jejunum and ileum of foetuses from CO-fed cows was higher than in foetuses from ON-fed cows. Despite these differences, MN did not affect the villi length of jejunum and ileum at 268 DG (p > 0.10). Female foetuses had greater small intestine mass (p = 0.093), large intestine mass (p = 0.022), small intestine mass in proportion to body mass (p = 0.017) and large intestine mass in proportion to body mass (p < 0.001) than male foetuses. Female foetuses had also longer small intestine (p = 0.077) and greater small intestine density (p = 0.021) and villi length of jejunum (p = 0.001) and ileum (p = 0.010) than males. We conclude that MN affects the pathway for the development of foetal villi length throughout the gestation in bovine foetuses without changing the final villi length. Female foetuses had higher intestinal mass, density and villi length than males during the foetal phase in bovines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.
authors.forename: T R S
authors.initials: TRS
authors.lastname: Gionbelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Rotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Veloso
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Valadares Filho
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Dairy Cattle, Brazilian Corporation of Agricultural Research, Coronel Pacheco, Brazil.
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Marcondes
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: M F L
authors.initials: MFL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: J V F
authors.initials: JVF
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: J S A A
authors.initials: JSAA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lacerda
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gionbelli
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000196:embryology*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: absorption; feeding level; foetal programming; intestinal morphology; sex-biased; small intestine; villi length; zebu