Effects of pre- and post-mating feed intake on blastocyst size, secretory function and glucose metabolism in Meishan gilts

Abstract

This experiment was designed to determine the effects of a nutritional regime, known to increase embryo survival, on blastocyst development and function. Day 12 blastocysts were recovered from Meishan gilts allocated in a 2x2 factorial design to receive either a high or a maintenance diet before or after mating (n = 4-6 gilts per group). The post-mating diet had no effect on individual blastocyst size, cell number, secretion of oestradiol-17beta or retinol binding protein, glucose metabolism or on the within-litter variability in these measures. Blastocysts recovered from gilts consuming the high pre-mating diet had more cells (13.501 v. 13.006 log cells; SED = 0.23; P = 0.05), greater production of CO2 from glucose (2.19 v. 1.23 log pmol(-1) blastocyst(-1) 3 h(-1), SED = 0.42; P = 0.05) and a lower within-litter standard deviation in blastocyst surface area (0.66 v. 1.18 log mm2, SED = 0.24; P = 0.04) compared with gilts fed the maintenance pre-mating diet. Collectively, these data suggest that a nutritional strategy that increases embryo survival is also associated with an increase in individual blastocyst cell number and reduced within-litter variability in blastocyst size.

Nutritional effects on oocyte and embryo development in mammals: implications for reproductive efficiency and environmental sustainability

“…It is of interest that pre-mating diets that increase embryo survival also increase blastocyst cell number (increased feed intake: Ashworth et al 1999; high fibre diet: Ashworth et al 2008), suggesting that this may be one mechanism by which such pre-mating diets exert their beneficial effects. Similar positive associations have been observed following micronutrient deficiency and in rodent species.…”

Beneficial effects of a high fibre diet on oocyte maturity and embryo survival in gilts

“…Most of this prenatal loss occurs during the first month of pregnancy. There is increasing evidence that the diet consumed before mating can have a major impact on embryo survival (Zak et al 1997, Ashworth et al 1999a, Ferguson et al 2006, within litter uniformity in blastocyst size (Ashworth et al 1999b) and the incidence of runting (Ferguson et al 2006) in pigs.…”

Cell Signalling During Blastocyst Morphogenesis

“…It is well established that maternal body status such as obesity and diabetes as well as dietary challenges such as over-or undernutrition and even maternal sickness can have profound effects on blastocyst morphogenesis across different species (Ashworth et al 1999;Fleming et al 2011;Williams et al 2011;Fischer et al 2012;Jungheim et al 2012;Sinclair and Watkins 2013). For example, total cell number and the relative balance, allocation to and proliferation of ICM and TE are subject to plasticity in response to maternal dietary challenges (Ashworth et al 1999;Kwong et al 2000;Eckert et al 2012).…”

“…For example, total cell number and the relative balance, allocation to and proliferation of ICM and TE are subject to plasticity in response to maternal dietary challenges (Ashworth et al 1999;Kwong et al 2000;Eckert et al 2012). Equally, expression of genes involved in a large number of biological processes ranging from lineage differentiation to metabolic and epigenetic regulation can be influenced by maternal body status .…”