Impact of dietary l-arginine supply during early gestation on myofiber development in newborn pigs exposed to intra-uterine crowding

Abstract

BackgroundIntra-uterine crowding (IUC) observed in hyperprolific sows impairs myofiber hyperplasia and overall fetal growth. Arginine supplementation (ARG) in gestation diets has been shown to positively affect litter and muscle development. The study objective was to assess whether the effect of ARG on offspring characteristics, with special emphasis on myofiber hyperplasia, differs under IUC conditions from these responses, because in that situation growth retardation is particularly prevalent due to reduced fetal nutrient supply. Unilateral oviduct ligation (OL) was used as a model for an uncrowded and hyperprolificacy (IN) as a model for a crowded intra-uterine environment.MethodsFive OL and five IN sows were fed a diet supplemented daily with either 43 g l-alanine (Ctrl) or 25 g l-arginine from d 14 to 28 of gestation in a cross-over design (two periods: 5th and 6th parity). At farrowing, two male and two female offspring, respectively, with a low and intermediate birth weight (BtW) were selected. After euthanization, the Semitendinosus muscle (STM) was removed and weighed, and the light and dark portions (STMd and STMl) were prepared for myofiber histochemistry using ATPase staining and the entire STM for gene expression analysis of myogenesis-related genes using RT-qPCR. In addition, various organs were removed and weighed. Data were analyzed using the MIXED model in SYSTAT.ResultsNo effect of either IUC or dietary treatment was found in litter characteristics. Offspring of ARG sows displayed a greater muscle area in STM (P < 0.01) as a result of the greater myofiber hyperplasia (P < 0.01). The increase was more distinct in the STMl (P < 0.05) than in the STMd (P = 0.131). Offspring of OL sows were heavier at birth (P < 0.01), had a heavier STM (P < 0.05), liver (P < 0.01) and kidney (P < 0.05), but when expressed relative to birth weight, these differences were absent. In addition, IUC had an effect (P < 0.05) on the expression of one of the myogenesis-related genes investigated.ConclusionsIndependent from the extent of IUC, ARG improved BtW, muscle and organ weights and myofiber hyperplasia in offspring.

L‐arginine supplementation during the final third of gestation improves litter uniformity and physical characteristics of neonatal piglet thermoregulation

“…The decreased values for within‐litter standard deviation and within‐litter coefficient of variation of piglet birthweights highlight the potential of L‐arginine supplementation to improve litter uniformity and lower the incidence of piglets with low viability (Madsen, Pardo, Kreuzer, & Bee, ; Palencia et al, ; Shi et al, ). Quesnel et al () observed a decreased coefficient of variation and improved uniformity in piglet birthweights after L‐arginine supplementation during the final third of gestation.…”

“…Decreased numbers of low-weight piglets are of great interest because low-birthweight piglets have significantly lower daily weight gains until weaning and during subsequent stages than do high-birthweight piglets (Beaulieu, Aalhus, Williams, & Patience, 2010;Fix et al, 2010;Lanferdini et al, 2018), who also show higher mortality rates (Hales, Moustsen, Nielsen, & Hansen, 2014) and need more time to reach market weight (Beaulieu et al, 2010;López-Vergé et al, 2018). Dietary supplementation with L-arginine may help increase the nitric oxide content in endothelial cells that line blood vessels, thus increasing the blood flow, causing vasodilatation and decreasing weight variations and the incidence of low-weight piglets (Campos et al, 2008;Madsen et al, 2017;Mateo, Wu, Moon, Carroll, & Kim, 2008). Genetic improvement may also increase weight-at-birth uniformity and can be performed indirectly by selecting for survival, birthweight and uterine capacity (Kapell, Ashworth, Knap, & Roehe, 2011).…”

“…When supplemented in other phases, L-arginine, as a precursor of polyamines and nitric oxide, positively affects vascular growth and blood flow in the final third of gestation(Reynolds et al, 2006;). The decreased values for within-litter standard deviation and within-litter coefficient of variation of piglet birthweights highlight the potential of L-arginine supplementation to improve litter uniformity and lower the incidence of piglets with low viability(Madsen, Pardo, Kreuzer, & Bee, 2017;Palencia et al, 2017;Shi et al, 2018) Quesnel et al (2014). observed a decreased coefficient of variation and improved uniformity in piglet birthweights after L-arginine supplementation during the final third of gestation Dallanora et al (2017).…”

The impact of dietary supplementation of arginine during gestation in a commercial swine herd: I. Gilt reproductive performance

“…Improved trophectoderm cell proliferation and subsequent placental development during the establishment of the fetal-maternal interface is considered a mechanism through which Arg may contribute to increased litter size and birth weight. However, the effects of Arg supplementation on litter size is inconsistent (Bérard and Bee, 2010;Quesnel et al, 2014;Garbossa et al, 2015;Dallanora et al, 2017;Madsen et al, 2017).…”

Dietary ZnO and arginine supplementation on the dynamic change of microbiota, intestinal morphology, and immune function of weaned pigs subjected to heat stress

“…The nutritional requirement of Arg is highly dependent on environmental and physiological conditions. Therefore, stressors such as microbial change, heat stress, and sepsis dramatically increase the Arg requirements [10][11][12].…”