Table S3. Description of data: Complete list of Gene Ontology terms (GORILLA and REVIGO) related ... more Table S3. Description of data: Complete list of Gene Ontology terms (GORILLA and REVIGO) related with MSeB610 vs CONT, OSeB610 vs CONT, and OSeB610 vs MSeB610 comparisons. (XLSX 1678 kb)
Table S1. List of unique genes symbols from re-annotated EMPV1 used as background for Gene Ontolo... more Table S1. List of unique genes symbols from re-annotated EMPV1 used as background for Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis. (XLSX 817 kb)
It is well documented that oocytes from small antral follicles are less competent than those deri... more It is well documented that oocytes from small antral follicles are less competent than those derived from large follicles, and we have previously shown that glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) enhances developmental competence in oocytes from antral follicles. Exactly how GDNF effects this change and if it depends on the stage of oocyte development is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the transcriptomic effects of follicle size and GDNF on the in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. Microarray analysis uncovered differentially expressed transcripts among in vitro‐matured porcine oocytes from different‐size antral follicles, in the absence or presence of GDNF. Oocytes isolated from small follicles showed a lower state of maturation than those from large follicles, with several transcripts associated with meiotic arrest. Addition of GDNF to the culture media had effects that depended on the stage of the follicle from which the oocyte was isol...
The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow pe... more The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow per year. Given that sows exhibit an estrus during lactation is a potential means of increasing productivity of a pig breeding herd without reducing in lactation length, conventionally, weaning of piglets at a relatively young age is often related to post-weaning piglet performance which compromises piglet welfare. Therefore, intermittent suckling (IS) is a management technique in which lactating sows are separated from their piglets for a fixed period of the days and allowing sows to continue nursing piglets while exhibiting estrus and being breed during lactation, thereby promoting both piglet well-being and sow reproductive performance [1]. For this study, primiparous sows (PP) were exposed to 28 day (D28) lactation with intermittent suckling (IS) during the final week prior to weaning. The sows detected to be in estrus during lactation were either bred at this first estrus (FE) during ...
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of th... more Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of the fetus full growth potential and occurs in a natural and severe manner in pigs. Knowledge on skeletal muscle morphofunctional phenotype and its molecular regulation in IUGR pigs is important to understand postnatal muscle development and may help the establishment of therapies to improve skeletal muscle growth in those individuals. To investigate the impairment of skeletal muscle postnatal development due to IUGR, we evaluated the histomorphometrical pattern of the semitendinosus muscle, the Myosin Heavy Chain (embryonic, I, IIa, IIb and IIx MyHC) fiber composition and the relative expression of genes related to myogenesis, adipogenesis and growth during three specific periods: postnatal myogenesis (newborn to 100 days of age), postnatal development (newborn to 150 days of age), and hypertrophy (100 days to 150 days of age), comparing IUGR and normal birth weight (NW) pigs. Growth restr...
In this study, we determined how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with d... more In this study, we determined how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with different sources of selenium (Se) affected global gene expression of porcine expanded blastocysts (PEB) during pregnancy. Eighteen gilts were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental diets (n=6 per treatment): i) basal diet without supplemental Se or pyridoxine (CONT); ii) CONT+0.3 mg/kg of Na-selenite and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (MSeB610); and iii) CONT+0.3 mg/kg of Se-enriched yeast and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (OSeB610). All gilts were inseminated at their fifth post-pubertal estrus and killed 5 days later for embryo harvesting. A porcine embryo-specific microarray was used to detect differentially gene expression between MSeB610 vs CONT, OSeB610 vs CONT, and OSeB610 vs MSeB610. CONT gilts had lower whole blood Se and erythrocyte pyridoxal-5-P concentrations than supplemented gilts (P<0.05). No treatment effect was observed on blood plasma Se-glutathione peroxidase a...
The in vitro production of early porcine embryos is of particular scientific and economic interes... more The in vitro production of early porcine embryos is of particular scientific and economic interest. In general, embryos produced from in vitro Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) manipulations, such as somatic cell chromatin transfer (CT) and parthenogenetic activation (PA), are less developmentally competent than in vivo-derived embryos. The mechanisms underlying the deficiencies of embryos generated from PA and CT have not been completely understood. To characterize the altered genes and gene networks in embryos generated from CT and PA, comparative transcriptomic analyses of in vivo (IVV) expanded blastocysts (XB), IVV hatched blastocyst (HB), PA XB, PA HB, and CT HB were performed using a custom microarray platform enriched for genes expressed during early embryonic development. Differential expressions of 1492 and 103 genes were identified in PA and CT HB, respectively, in comparison with IVV HB. The ''eIF2 signalling'', ''mitochondrial dysfunction'', ''regulation of eIF4 and p70S6K signalling'', ''protein ubiquitination'', and ''mTOR signalling'' pathways were down-regulated in PA HB. Dysregulation of notch signalling-associated genes were observed in both PA and CT HB. TP53 was predicted to be activated in both PA and CT HB, as 136 and 23 regulation targets of TP53 showed significant differential expression in PA and CT HB, respectively, in comparison with IVV HB. In addition, dysregulations of several critical pluripotency, trophoblast development, and implantation-associated genes (NANOG, GATA2, KRT8, LGMN, and DPP4) were observed in PA HB during the blastocyst hatching process. The critical genes that were observed to be dysregulated in CT and PA embryos could be indicative of underlying developmental deficiencies of embryos produced from these technologies.
The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes by suppression subtractive h... more The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) in HELLP placentas. Two cDNA libraries were constructed; HSI (HELLP subtracted induced or upregulated) and HSS (HELLP subtracted suppressed or downregulated). Two hundred eighty-eight cDNA clones were sequenced; 37 were matched to GenBank entries and included genes in cell communication and organization, cellular processes, genetic information processing, and metabolic processes. A subgroup of 11 genes of interest was further selected for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmation. Results showed no differences in expression of chosen upregu-lated genes between HELLP and non-HELLP placentas; 6 HELLP downregulated genes were sig-nificantly suppressed. Two genes related to production of secreted proteins, CTHRC1 and SERPINE2. SERPINE2 (PAI-1) is a soluble protease inhibitor and is a potential biomarker by Western blot analysis, and the protein is signi...
Supplies of marine fish oils (FO) are limited, and sustainable production in aquaculture dictates... more Supplies of marine fish oils (FO) are limited, and sustainable production in aquaculture dictates that alternatives that do not compromise fish health and product quality, such as vegetable oils, must be found. Nutrigenomics will increase our understanding of how nutrition influences metabolic pathways and homeostatic control, and may be used to measure and validate subtle changes in organ-specific, metabolic gene expression signatures. We compared 2 groups of Atlantic salmon fed diets containing 100% FO or 75% rapeseed oil (RO) for 42 wk. A small-scale cDNA microarray was constructed to screen for changes in the expression of lipid metabolism genes in the liver resulting from this partial substitution of RO for FO. 5 fatty acid desaturase gene expression was significantly greater in fish fed 75% RO than in fish fed the control diet; this was confirmed by quantitative real time PCR analysis. In addition, several genes, among these mitochondrial proteins, peroxisome proliferator-acti...
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of th... more Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of the fetus' full growth potential and occurs in a natural and severe manner in pigs as a result of placental insufficiency. Reduced skeletal muscle mass in the fetus with IUGR persists into adulthood and may contribute to increased metabolic disease risk. To investigate skeletal muscle postnatal development, histomorphometrical patterns of the semitendinosus muscle, myosin heavy chain (MyHC; embryonic I, IIA, IIB and IIX isoforms) fiber composition and the relative expression of genes related to myogenesis, adipogenesis and growth during three specific periods: postnatal myogenesis (newborn to 100 days old), hypertrophy (100–150 days old), and postnatal development (newborn to 150 days old) were evaluated in female pigs with IUGR and normal birth weight (NW) female littermates. NW females presented higher body weights compared to their IUGR counterparts at all ages evaluated (P < 0.05). Moreover, growth restriction in utero affected the semitendinosus muscle weight, muscle fiber diameter, and muscle cross‐sectional area, which were smaller in IUGR pigs at birth (P < 0.05). Notwithstanding the effects on muscle morphology, IUGR also affected muscle fiber composition, as the percentage of MyHC‐I myofibers was higher at birth (P < 0.05), and, in 150‐day‐old gilts, a lower percentage of MyHC‐IIX isoform (P < 0.05) and the presence of embryonic MyHC isoform were also observed. Regarding the pattern of gene expression in both the postnatal myogenesis and postnatal development periods, IUGR led to the downregulation of myogenic factors, which delayed skeletal muscle myogenesis (PAX7, MYOD, MYOG, MYF5 and DES). Altogether, growth restriction in utero affects muscle fiber number and size at birth and muscle fiber composition through the downregulation of myogenic factors, which determines the individual´s postnatal growth rate. This fact, associated with delayed myofiber development in growth‐restricted animals, may affect meat quality characteristics in animal production. Hence, knowledge of the morphofunctional phenotype of the skeletal muscle throughout postnatal development in individuals with IUGR, and the mechanism that governs it, may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that limit postnatal muscle growth, and help the establishment of potential strategies to improve muscle development and prevent the onset of later‐life metabolic diseases.
Decades of selection for increased litter size has caused a proportion of sows to consistently pr... more Decades of selection for increased litter size has caused a proportion of sows to consistently produce low birth weight (LBW) litters resulting in economic loss for producers due to reduced piglet survivability and growth. We hypothesized that piglets from LBW litters would have altered gut microbial composition, intestinal architecture, and intestinal transcriptomic profiles compared with piglets from high birth weight (HBW) litters. Sows were designated LBW (n = 45) or HBW (n = 46) based on litter birth weights of three successive parities. LBW piglets were 22% lighter (P 0.05) in weight at weaning compared with HBW piglets. LBW piglets had reduced (P
Background: Gene ontology analysis using the microarray database generated in a previous study by... more Background: Gene ontology analysis using the microarray database generated in a previous study by this laboratory was used to further evaluate how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with different sources of selenium (Se) affected global gene expression of expanded porcine blastocysts. Data were generated from 18 gilts randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets (n = 6 per treatment): i) basal diet without supplemental Se or pyridoxine (CONT); ii) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Na-selenite and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (MSeB 6 10); and iii) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Se-enriched yeast and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (OSeB 6 10). All gilts were inseminated at their fifth post-pubertal estrus and euthanized 5 days later for embryo harvesting. Differential gene expression between MSeB 6 10 vs CONT, OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10 was performed using a porcine embryo-specific microarray. Results: There were 559, 2458, and 1547 differentially expressed genes for MSeB 6 10 vs CONT, OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10, respectively. MSeB 6 10 vs CONT stimulated 13 biological processes with a strict effect on RNA binding and translation initiation. OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10 impacted 188 and 66 biological processes, respectively, with very similar effects on genome stability, ceramide biosynthesis, protein trafficking and epigenetic events. The stimulation of genes related with these processes was confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Conclusions: Gene expression of embryos from OSeB 6 10 supplemented gilts was more impacted than those from MSeB 6 10 supplemented gilts. Whereas maternal OSeB 6 10 supplementation influenced crucial aspects of embryo development, maternal MSeB 6 10 supplementation was restricted to binding activity.
The main objectives were to determine the influence of diets enriched in α-linolenic, linoleic or... more The main objectives were to determine the influence of diets enriched in α-linolenic, linoleic or oleic acid on the development and transcriptomic profile of embryos collected from dairy cattle. Non-lactating Holstein cows received one of three diets supplemented with 8% rolled oilseeds: flax (FLX, n=8), sunflower (SUN, n=7) or canola (CAN, n=8). After a minimum 35-day diet adaptation, cows were superovulated, artificially inseminated and ova/embryos recovered non-surgically 7.5 days later. Cows fed FLX had less degenerated embryos and more viable embryos than those fed CAN or SUN. One-hundred-seventy-five genes were differentially expressed in blastocysts from cows fed FLX than in cows fed CAN or SUN. The differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in cellular growth and proliferation, cellular development, and cell survival and viability. In conclusion, dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced early embryonic degeneration possibly through improving embryonic cell su...
The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow pe... more The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow per year. Given that sows exhibit an estrus during lactation is a potential means of increasing productivity of a pig breeding herd without reducing in lactation length, conventionally, weaning of piglets at a relatively young age is often related to post-weaning piglet performance which compromises piglet welfare. Therefore, intermittent suckling (IS) is a management technique in which lactating sows are separated from their piglets for a fixed period of the days and allowing sows to continue nursing piglets while exhibiting estrus and being breed during lactation, thereby promoting both piglet well-being and sow reproductive performance [1]. For this study, primiparous sows (PP) were exposed to 28 day (D28) lactation with intermittent suckling (IS) during the final week prior to weaning. The sows detected to be in estrus during lactation were either bred at this first estrus (FE) during ...
To compare the inhibitory effect of human (hRLX) and porcine (pRLX) relaxins in phenylephrine (3!... more To compare the inhibitory effect of human (hRLX) and porcine (pRLX) relaxins in phenylephrine (3!10 ÿ6 M) contracted rat uterine artery (UA) rings (PECUAR). STUDY DESIGN: Rings (2 mm, with preserved endothelium) of UA from nonpregnant, estrogenized (NPR), midpregnant (MPR, gestation days 13-15) and late pregnant (LPR, days 19-21) Spraque Dawley rats were equilibrated in Krebs buffer (37(C, pHw7.4) at passive tension of 0.7 g. Concentrationrelaxation relationships to hRLX or pRLX (10 ÿ10 to 10 ÿ6 M), and changes in time-solvent control (TSC) run in parallel, were obtained in PECUAR and analyzed. Numbers (n) refer to vessel rings used and number of animals. RESULTS: hRLX had no effect on PECUAR from any group. Similarly, pRLX did not significantly affect PECUAR from NPR and LPR (n = 11 and 6). However, in rings from MPR the PE-induced tension (PET) was reduced to 47.6 G 3.9% and 88.5 G 5.0% (n = 6, P ! .001) with pRLX, 10 ÿ6 M-and TSC, respectively. In the presence of L-NAME (10 ÿ4 M, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor) PET decreased to 22.9 G 6.3% after pRLX, 10 ÿ6 M vs 59.8 G 7.7% (P ! .01) without L-NAME as compared to 88.6 G 7.9% in TSC (n = 10). MDL 12330A (inhibitor of adenylate cyclase) at 10 ÿ5 M did not change effects of pRLX in the presence (29.3 G 6.3% of initial PET) or absence (57.3.2 G 13.6%) of L-NAME, while ODQ (inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, sGC) at 10 ÿ5 M prevented (96.6 G 2.25%, P ! .01, n = 5) the effect of pRLX. Either in the presence or absence of L-NAME, MDL 12330A at 10 ÿ5 M had no effect, while ODQ at 10 ÿ5 evoked a twofold increase (P ! .001) in PET. CONCLUSION: pRLX activates relaxin receptors in MPR suggesting a role of these receptors in control of uterine and fetal blood flow at this critical stage of pregnancy. pRLX primarily activates sGC and the effect is dependent on the activity of the constitutive NOS.
Table S3. Description of data: Complete list of Gene Ontology terms (GORILLA and REVIGO) related ... more Table S3. Description of data: Complete list of Gene Ontology terms (GORILLA and REVIGO) related with MSeB610 vs CONT, OSeB610 vs CONT, and OSeB610 vs MSeB610 comparisons. (XLSX 1678 kb)
Table S1. List of unique genes symbols from re-annotated EMPV1 used as background for Gene Ontolo... more Table S1. List of unique genes symbols from re-annotated EMPV1 used as background for Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis. (XLSX 817 kb)
It is well documented that oocytes from small antral follicles are less competent than those deri... more It is well documented that oocytes from small antral follicles are less competent than those derived from large follicles, and we have previously shown that glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) enhances developmental competence in oocytes from antral follicles. Exactly how GDNF effects this change and if it depends on the stage of oocyte development is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the transcriptomic effects of follicle size and GDNF on the in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. Microarray analysis uncovered differentially expressed transcripts among in vitro‐matured porcine oocytes from different‐size antral follicles, in the absence or presence of GDNF. Oocytes isolated from small follicles showed a lower state of maturation than those from large follicles, with several transcripts associated with meiotic arrest. Addition of GDNF to the culture media had effects that depended on the stage of the follicle from which the oocyte was isol...
The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow pe... more The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow per year. Given that sows exhibit an estrus during lactation is a potential means of increasing productivity of a pig breeding herd without reducing in lactation length, conventionally, weaning of piglets at a relatively young age is often related to post-weaning piglet performance which compromises piglet welfare. Therefore, intermittent suckling (IS) is a management technique in which lactating sows are separated from their piglets for a fixed period of the days and allowing sows to continue nursing piglets while exhibiting estrus and being breed during lactation, thereby promoting both piglet well-being and sow reproductive performance [1]. For this study, primiparous sows (PP) were exposed to 28 day (D28) lactation with intermittent suckling (IS) during the final week prior to weaning. The sows detected to be in estrus during lactation were either bred at this first estrus (FE) during ...
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of th... more Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of the fetus full growth potential and occurs in a natural and severe manner in pigs. Knowledge on skeletal muscle morphofunctional phenotype and its molecular regulation in IUGR pigs is important to understand postnatal muscle development and may help the establishment of therapies to improve skeletal muscle growth in those individuals. To investigate the impairment of skeletal muscle postnatal development due to IUGR, we evaluated the histomorphometrical pattern of the semitendinosus muscle, the Myosin Heavy Chain (embryonic, I, IIa, IIb and IIx MyHC) fiber composition and the relative expression of genes related to myogenesis, adipogenesis and growth during three specific periods: postnatal myogenesis (newborn to 100 days of age), postnatal development (newborn to 150 days of age), and hypertrophy (100 days to 150 days of age), comparing IUGR and normal birth weight (NW) pigs. Growth restr...
In this study, we determined how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with d... more In this study, we determined how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with different sources of selenium (Se) affected global gene expression of porcine expanded blastocysts (PEB) during pregnancy. Eighteen gilts were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental diets (n=6 per treatment): i) basal diet without supplemental Se or pyridoxine (CONT); ii) CONT+0.3 mg/kg of Na-selenite and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (MSeB610); and iii) CONT+0.3 mg/kg of Se-enriched yeast and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (OSeB610). All gilts were inseminated at their fifth post-pubertal estrus and killed 5 days later for embryo harvesting. A porcine embryo-specific microarray was used to detect differentially gene expression between MSeB610 vs CONT, OSeB610 vs CONT, and OSeB610 vs MSeB610. CONT gilts had lower whole blood Se and erythrocyte pyridoxal-5-P concentrations than supplemented gilts (P<0.05). No treatment effect was observed on blood plasma Se-glutathione peroxidase a...
The in vitro production of early porcine embryos is of particular scientific and economic interes... more The in vitro production of early porcine embryos is of particular scientific and economic interest. In general, embryos produced from in vitro Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) manipulations, such as somatic cell chromatin transfer (CT) and parthenogenetic activation (PA), are less developmentally competent than in vivo-derived embryos. The mechanisms underlying the deficiencies of embryos generated from PA and CT have not been completely understood. To characterize the altered genes and gene networks in embryos generated from CT and PA, comparative transcriptomic analyses of in vivo (IVV) expanded blastocysts (XB), IVV hatched blastocyst (HB), PA XB, PA HB, and CT HB were performed using a custom microarray platform enriched for genes expressed during early embryonic development. Differential expressions of 1492 and 103 genes were identified in PA and CT HB, respectively, in comparison with IVV HB. The ''eIF2 signalling'', ''mitochondrial dysfunction'', ''regulation of eIF4 and p70S6K signalling'', ''protein ubiquitination'', and ''mTOR signalling'' pathways were down-regulated in PA HB. Dysregulation of notch signalling-associated genes were observed in both PA and CT HB. TP53 was predicted to be activated in both PA and CT HB, as 136 and 23 regulation targets of TP53 showed significant differential expression in PA and CT HB, respectively, in comparison with IVV HB. In addition, dysregulations of several critical pluripotency, trophoblast development, and implantation-associated genes (NANOG, GATA2, KRT8, LGMN, and DPP4) were observed in PA HB during the blastocyst hatching process. The critical genes that were observed to be dysregulated in CT and PA embryos could be indicative of underlying developmental deficiencies of embryos produced from these technologies.
The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes by suppression subtractive h... more The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) in HELLP placentas. Two cDNA libraries were constructed; HSI (HELLP subtracted induced or upregulated) and HSS (HELLP subtracted suppressed or downregulated). Two hundred eighty-eight cDNA clones were sequenced; 37 were matched to GenBank entries and included genes in cell communication and organization, cellular processes, genetic information processing, and metabolic processes. A subgroup of 11 genes of interest was further selected for real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmation. Results showed no differences in expression of chosen upregu-lated genes between HELLP and non-HELLP placentas; 6 HELLP downregulated genes were sig-nificantly suppressed. Two genes related to production of secreted proteins, CTHRC1 and SERPINE2. SERPINE2 (PAI-1) is a soluble protease inhibitor and is a potential biomarker by Western blot analysis, and the protein is signi...
Supplies of marine fish oils (FO) are limited, and sustainable production in aquaculture dictates... more Supplies of marine fish oils (FO) are limited, and sustainable production in aquaculture dictates that alternatives that do not compromise fish health and product quality, such as vegetable oils, must be found. Nutrigenomics will increase our understanding of how nutrition influences metabolic pathways and homeostatic control, and may be used to measure and validate subtle changes in organ-specific, metabolic gene expression signatures. We compared 2 groups of Atlantic salmon fed diets containing 100% FO or 75% rapeseed oil (RO) for 42 wk. A small-scale cDNA microarray was constructed to screen for changes in the expression of lipid metabolism genes in the liver resulting from this partial substitution of RO for FO. 5 fatty acid desaturase gene expression was significantly greater in fish fed 75% RO than in fish fed the control diet; this was confirmed by quantitative real time PCR analysis. In addition, several genes, among these mitochondrial proteins, peroxisome proliferator-acti...
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of th... more Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a serious condition which impairs the achievement of the fetus' full growth potential and occurs in a natural and severe manner in pigs as a result of placental insufficiency. Reduced skeletal muscle mass in the fetus with IUGR persists into adulthood and may contribute to increased metabolic disease risk. To investigate skeletal muscle postnatal development, histomorphometrical patterns of the semitendinosus muscle, myosin heavy chain (MyHC; embryonic I, IIA, IIB and IIX isoforms) fiber composition and the relative expression of genes related to myogenesis, adipogenesis and growth during three specific periods: postnatal myogenesis (newborn to 100 days old), hypertrophy (100–150 days old), and postnatal development (newborn to 150 days old) were evaluated in female pigs with IUGR and normal birth weight (NW) female littermates. NW females presented higher body weights compared to their IUGR counterparts at all ages evaluated (P < 0.05). Moreover, growth restriction in utero affected the semitendinosus muscle weight, muscle fiber diameter, and muscle cross‐sectional area, which were smaller in IUGR pigs at birth (P < 0.05). Notwithstanding the effects on muscle morphology, IUGR also affected muscle fiber composition, as the percentage of MyHC‐I myofibers was higher at birth (P < 0.05), and, in 150‐day‐old gilts, a lower percentage of MyHC‐IIX isoform (P < 0.05) and the presence of embryonic MyHC isoform were also observed. Regarding the pattern of gene expression in both the postnatal myogenesis and postnatal development periods, IUGR led to the downregulation of myogenic factors, which delayed skeletal muscle myogenesis (PAX7, MYOD, MYOG, MYF5 and DES). Altogether, growth restriction in utero affects muscle fiber number and size at birth and muscle fiber composition through the downregulation of myogenic factors, which determines the individual´s postnatal growth rate. This fact, associated with delayed myofiber development in growth‐restricted animals, may affect meat quality characteristics in animal production. Hence, knowledge of the morphofunctional phenotype of the skeletal muscle throughout postnatal development in individuals with IUGR, and the mechanism that governs it, may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that limit postnatal muscle growth, and help the establishment of potential strategies to improve muscle development and prevent the onset of later‐life metabolic diseases.
Decades of selection for increased litter size has caused a proportion of sows to consistently pr... more Decades of selection for increased litter size has caused a proportion of sows to consistently produce low birth weight (LBW) litters resulting in economic loss for producers due to reduced piglet survivability and growth. We hypothesized that piglets from LBW litters would have altered gut microbial composition, intestinal architecture, and intestinal transcriptomic profiles compared with piglets from high birth weight (HBW) litters. Sows were designated LBW (n = 45) or HBW (n = 46) based on litter birth weights of three successive parities. LBW piglets were 22% lighter (P 0.05) in weight at weaning compared with HBW piglets. LBW piglets had reduced (P
Background: Gene ontology analysis using the microarray database generated in a previous study by... more Background: Gene ontology analysis using the microarray database generated in a previous study by this laboratory was used to further evaluate how maternal dietary supplementation with pyridoxine combined with different sources of selenium (Se) affected global gene expression of expanded porcine blastocysts. Data were generated from 18 gilts randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets (n = 6 per treatment): i) basal diet without supplemental Se or pyridoxine (CONT); ii) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Na-selenite and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (MSeB 6 10); and iii) CONT + 0.3 mg/kg of Se-enriched yeast and 10 mg/kg of HCl-pyridoxine (OSeB 6 10). All gilts were inseminated at their fifth post-pubertal estrus and euthanized 5 days later for embryo harvesting. Differential gene expression between MSeB 6 10 vs CONT, OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10 was performed using a porcine embryo-specific microarray. Results: There were 559, 2458, and 1547 differentially expressed genes for MSeB 6 10 vs CONT, OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10, respectively. MSeB 6 10 vs CONT stimulated 13 biological processes with a strict effect on RNA binding and translation initiation. OSeB 6 10 vs CONT and OSeB 6 10 vs MSeB 6 10 impacted 188 and 66 biological processes, respectively, with very similar effects on genome stability, ceramide biosynthesis, protein trafficking and epigenetic events. The stimulation of genes related with these processes was confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Conclusions: Gene expression of embryos from OSeB 6 10 supplemented gilts was more impacted than those from MSeB 6 10 supplemented gilts. Whereas maternal OSeB 6 10 supplementation influenced crucial aspects of embryo development, maternal MSeB 6 10 supplementation was restricted to binding activity.
The main objectives were to determine the influence of diets enriched in α-linolenic, linoleic or... more The main objectives were to determine the influence of diets enriched in α-linolenic, linoleic or oleic acid on the development and transcriptomic profile of embryos collected from dairy cattle. Non-lactating Holstein cows received one of three diets supplemented with 8% rolled oilseeds: flax (FLX, n=8), sunflower (SUN, n=7) or canola (CAN, n=8). After a minimum 35-day diet adaptation, cows were superovulated, artificially inseminated and ova/embryos recovered non-surgically 7.5 days later. Cows fed FLX had less degenerated embryos and more viable embryos than those fed CAN or SUN. One-hundred-seventy-five genes were differentially expressed in blastocysts from cows fed FLX than in cows fed CAN or SUN. The differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in cellular growth and proliferation, cellular development, and cell survival and viability. In conclusion, dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced early embryonic degeneration possibly through improving embryonic cell su...
The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow pe... more The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is to maximize the number of pigs produced per sow per year. Given that sows exhibit an estrus during lactation is a potential means of increasing productivity of a pig breeding herd without reducing in lactation length, conventionally, weaning of piglets at a relatively young age is often related to post-weaning piglet performance which compromises piglet welfare. Therefore, intermittent suckling (IS) is a management technique in which lactating sows are separated from their piglets for a fixed period of the days and allowing sows to continue nursing piglets while exhibiting estrus and being breed during lactation, thereby promoting both piglet well-being and sow reproductive performance [1]. For this study, primiparous sows (PP) were exposed to 28 day (D28) lactation with intermittent suckling (IS) during the final week prior to weaning. The sows detected to be in estrus during lactation were either bred at this first estrus (FE) during ...
To compare the inhibitory effect of human (hRLX) and porcine (pRLX) relaxins in phenylephrine (3!... more To compare the inhibitory effect of human (hRLX) and porcine (pRLX) relaxins in phenylephrine (3!10 ÿ6 M) contracted rat uterine artery (UA) rings (PECUAR). STUDY DESIGN: Rings (2 mm, with preserved endothelium) of UA from nonpregnant, estrogenized (NPR), midpregnant (MPR, gestation days 13-15) and late pregnant (LPR, days 19-21) Spraque Dawley rats were equilibrated in Krebs buffer (37(C, pHw7.4) at passive tension of 0.7 g. Concentrationrelaxation relationships to hRLX or pRLX (10 ÿ10 to 10 ÿ6 M), and changes in time-solvent control (TSC) run in parallel, were obtained in PECUAR and analyzed. Numbers (n) refer to vessel rings used and number of animals. RESULTS: hRLX had no effect on PECUAR from any group. Similarly, pRLX did not significantly affect PECUAR from NPR and LPR (n = 11 and 6). However, in rings from MPR the PE-induced tension (PET) was reduced to 47.6 G 3.9% and 88.5 G 5.0% (n = 6, P ! .001) with pRLX, 10 ÿ6 M-and TSC, respectively. In the presence of L-NAME (10 ÿ4 M, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor) PET decreased to 22.9 G 6.3% after pRLX, 10 ÿ6 M vs 59.8 G 7.7% (P ! .01) without L-NAME as compared to 88.6 G 7.9% in TSC (n = 10). MDL 12330A (inhibitor of adenylate cyclase) at 10 ÿ5 M did not change effects of pRLX in the presence (29.3 G 6.3% of initial PET) or absence (57.3.2 G 13.6%) of L-NAME, while ODQ (inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, sGC) at 10 ÿ5 M prevented (96.6 G 2.25%, P ! .01, n = 5) the effect of pRLX. Either in the presence or absence of L-NAME, MDL 12330A at 10 ÿ5 M had no effect, while ODQ at 10 ÿ5 evoked a twofold increase (P ! .001) in PET. CONCLUSION: pRLX activates relaxin receptors in MPR suggesting a role of these receptors in control of uterine and fetal blood flow at this critical stage of pregnancy. pRLX primarily activates sGC and the effect is dependent on the activity of the constitutive NOS.
Uploads
Papers by Stephen Tsoi