Abstract. Nutritional perturbation during gestation alters male reproductive development in rodents and sheep. In cattle both the developmental trajectory of the feto-placental unit and its response to dietary perturbations is dissimilar to that of these species. This study examined the effects of dietary protein perturbation during the peri-conception and first trimester periods upon reproductive development in bulls. Nulliparous heifers (n ¼ 360) were individually fed a high-or low-protein diet (HPeri and LPeri) from 60 days before conception. From 24 until 98 days post conception, half of each treatment group changed to the alternative post-conception high-or low-protein diet (HPost and LPost) yielding four treatment groups in a 2 Â 2 factorial design. A subset of male fetuses (n ¼ 25) was excised at 98 days post conception and fetal testis development was assessed. Reproductive development of singleton male progeny (n ¼ 40) was assessed until slaughter at 598 days of age, when adult testicular cytology was evaluated. Low peri-conception diet delayed reproductive development: sperm quality was lowered during pubertal development with a concomitant delay in reaching puberty. These effects were subsequent to lower FSH concentrations at 330 and 438 days of age. In the fetus, the low periconception diet increased the proportion of seminiferous tubules and decreased blood vessel area in the testis, whereas low first trimester diet increased blood vessel number in the adult testis. We conclude that maternal dietary protein perturbation during conception and early gestation may alter male testis development and delay puberty in bulls.
The occurrence of self-suckling was recorded in 21 dairy goats during periods of 20 minutes at three different times per day (immediately after milking and the first feed, immediately after the second feed and in the afternoon) for 27 days (divided into three experimental periods of nine days). As expected, negative associations between milk yield and the frequency of self-suckling were observed (P<0.05). Goats suckled on their own right teat more frequently than on the left teat. The width of the right teat (measured at the middle of the teat) was positively associated with the frequency of self-suckling after controlling for the width of the left teat. A higher self-suckling frequency was observed immediately after milking than in the other two periods of the day. The frequency of self-suckling by each goat was reduced when animals were supplemented ad libitum with wheat straw in addition to their ordinary feed.
The aim of the studies presented in this research communication was to compare species of origin (goat and sheep) and the effect of treatment (pasteurization at 56, 63 and 72 °C, skimming and curding) and refrigeration time on colostrum antimicrobial activity (AnAc). Two experiments were performed. In experiment 1, twenty-four first milking colostrum samples were obtained (12 goats, 12 sheep) and an aliquot of each sample was subjected to 6 different treatments, control (untreated), pasteurization at 56, 63 and 72 °C, skimming and curding. Colostrum AnAc was tested directly against E. coli using disks in a Petri dish and Enrofloxacin (antibiotic) and saline serum as positive and negative control, respectively. Species had no effect (P > 0.05) on colostrum AnAc, and neither did pasteurization at different temperatures or skimming. However, curding showed the lowest colostrum AnAc (P < 0.05) in both species. In the second experiment, four treatments were assayed, control, pasteurization at 56 and 63 °C and skimming. An aliquot of twelve goat colostrum samples were refrigerated after treatments for 10 d at 4 °C. Colostrum AnAc was measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 d. A reduction in colostrum AnAc was observed due to refrigeration time. The results suggest that if farmers use frozen colostrum for neonates, the process of curding colostrum or refrigeration at 4 °C longer than 4 d is not recommended.
It is well known that consumption of a balanced diet throughout adulthood is key toward maintenance of optimal body weight and cardiovascular health. Research using animal models can provide insights into the programming of short and long-term health by parental diet and potential mechanisms by which, for example, protein intake may influence fetal development, adolescent health, and adult morbidity/ mortality. Malnutrition, whether consumption of too many or too few individual nutrients or energy, is detrimental to health. For example, in Westernised societies, one of the principal factors contributing towards the global epidemic of obesity is over-consumption of calories, relative to the expenditure of calories through physical activity. A large body of evidence now suggests that many chronic diseases of adulthood, such as obesity and diabetes, are linked to the nutritional environment experienced by the fetus in utero. Maternal consumption of a poor-quality, nutritionally unbalanced diet can programme offspring to become obese, develop high blood pressure and diabetes, and to experience premature morbidity and mortality. More recently, paternal diet has also been shown to influence offspring health through effects carried via the sperm that affect post-fertilisation development. Mechanisms underpinning such developmental programming effects remain elusive, although early development of the microvasculature in the heart and pancreas, particularly after exposure of the mother (or father) to a protein restricted diet, has been proposed as one mechanism linking early diet to perturbed adult function. In this brief review, we explore the longer-term consequences of maternal and paternal protein intakes on the progeny. Using evidence from relevant animal models, we illustrate how protein malnutrition may ‘programme’ lifelong health and disease outcomes, especially in relation to pancreatic function and insulin resistance, and cardiac abnormalities.
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