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Fetal programming in sheep: Effects on pre- and postnatal organs and glands development in lambs
Everton Dezordi Sartori1, Gabriel Ribas Pereira1, Júlio Otávio Jardim Barcellos1
1Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - Department of Animal Science, Avenue Bento Gonçalves 7712, 91540-000 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Research in Veterinary Science
|July 25, 2022
Summary
Maternal nutrition impacts fetal organ weight. Undernutrition and overnutrition during pregnancy significantly altered lamb liver weight, with other organs also affected, highlighting the critical role of maternal diet.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal programming
- Developmental biology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for fetal development.
- Nutritional insults can lead to long-term health consequences.
- Understanding organ development under varying maternal nutritional states is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of maternal undernutrition or overnutrition on fetal organ and gland weights in lambs.
- To assess changes in both absolute and relative organ weights.
- To investigate effects during gestation, birth, and the postnatal period.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.
- Data extraction on organ (liver, kidneys, heart, spleen, lung) and gland (adrenal, pancreas, thyroid) weights.
- DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model for meta-analysis.
- Comparison of undernutrition/overnutrition groups with control groups.
Main Results:
- Maternal undernutrition significantly reduced absolute liver weight throughout gestation, birth, and the postnatal period in lambs.
- Absolute weights of fetal lungs and spleen were also reduced by maternal undernutrition.
- Maternal overnutrition reduced absolute and relative liver weight, and increased relative kidney weight.
- No significant changes in gland weights were observed under either nutritional scenario.
Conclusions:
- Maternal nutritional status during pregnancy profoundly influences fetal organ weight development in lambs.
- Organ weight changes are more pronounced with undernutrition and appear linked to overall fetal growth reduction.
- The liver is particularly susceptible to alterations in maternal diet, affecting both absolute and relative weights.
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