Omega-3 fatty acids in the gravid pig uterus as affected by maternal supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids1

Abstract

Two experiments evaluated the ability of maternal fatty acid supplementation to alter conceptus and endometrial fatty acid composition. In Exp. 1, treatments were 1) the control, a corn-soybean meal diet; 2) flax, the control diet plus ground flax (3.75% of diet); and 3) protected fatty acids (PFA), the control plus a protected fish oil source rich in n-3 PUFA (Gromega, JBS United Inc., Sheridan, IN; 1.5% of diet). Supplements replaced equal parts of corn and soybean meal. When gilts reached 170 d of age, PG600 (PMSG and hCG, Intervet USA, Millsboro, DE) was injected to induce puberty, and dietary treatments (n = 8/treatment) were initiated. When detected in estrus, gilts were artificially inseminated. On d 40 to 43 of gestation, 7 gilts in the control treatment, 8 gilts in the PFA treatment, and 5 gilts in the flax treatment were pregnant and were slaughtered. Compared with the control treatment, the flax treatment tended to increase eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA: C20:5n-3) in fetuses (0.14 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.03 mg/g of dry tissue; P = 0.055), whereas gilts receiving PFA had more (P < 0.05) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA: C22:6n-3) in their fetuses (5.23 vs. 4.04 +/- 0.078 mg/g) compared with gilts fed the control diet. Both the flax and PFA diets increased (P < 0.05) DHA (0.60, 0.82, and 0.85 +/- 0.078 mg/g for the control, flax, and PFA diet, respectively) in the chorioallantois. In the endometrium, EPA and docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) were increased by the flax diet (P < 0.001; P < 0.05), whereas gilts receiving PFA had increased DHA (P < 0.001). The flax diet selectively increased EPA, and the PFA diet selectively increased DHA in the fetus and endometrium. In Exp. 2, gilts were fed diets containing PFA (1.5%) or a control diet beginning at approximately 170 of age (n = 13/treatment). A blood sample was collected after 30 d of treatment, and gilts were artificially inseminated when they were approximately 205 d old. Conceptus and endometrial samples were collected on d 11 to 19 of pregnancy. Plasma samples indicated that PFA increased (P < 0.005) circulating concentrations of EPA and DHA. Endometrial EPA was increased (P < 0.001) for gilts fed the PFA diet. In extraembryonic tissues, PFA more than doubled (P < 0.001) the EPA (0.13 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.013 mg/g) and DHA (0.39 vs. 0.85 +/- 0.05 mg/g). In embryonic tissue on d 19, DHA was increased (P < 0.05) by PFA (0.20 vs. 0.30 +/- 0.023 mg/g). Supplementing n-3 PUFA, beginning 30 d before breeding, affected endometrial, conceptus, and fetal fatty acid composition in early pregnancy. Dynamic day effects in fatty acid composition indicate this may be a critical period for maternal fatty acid resources to affect conceptus development and survival.

Responses to n-3 fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation of gestating gilts, and lactating and weaned sows

“…An increase in only DHA in embryos at day 30 of gestation in the present study is consistent with the results of Brazle et al (2009). This confirms that either DHA is taken up through the placenta into the embryo during early pregnancy or that more EPA was taken up by the embryo and then converted to DHA.…”

“…Evidence that n-3 LCPUFAs in the sow's diet are taken up into the blood stream (Fritsche et al, 1993;Rooke et al, 2000;Brazle et al, 2009) was confirmed by a 10-fold increase in serum EPA and DHA of n-3 LCPUFA supplemented sows in the present study, and as also reported by Rooke et al (2000), was associated with a decrease in serum LCPUFA 5 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; CL 5 corpora lutea; CON 5 control; r.s.d. 5 residual standard deviation; SFA 5 saturated fatty acids; MUFA 5 mono-unsaturated fatty acids; nd 5 non-detectable.…”

Effects of dietary enrichment with a marine oil-based n-3 LCPUFA supplement in sows with predicted birth weight phenotypes on birth litter quality and growth performance to weaning

“…PGE2 in the allantoic fluid has been related to larger litter size (Giguère et al, 2000). Brazle et al (2009) showed that supplementing gilts from puberty onwards with the same fish oil product as used in the current trial increased DHA concentration in the chorioallantois, but the AA levels, which were expected to drop, were not different between supplemented and control gilts. This suggests that the decrease in litter size is also not likely owing to changes in PGE2 synthesis.…”

“…It could mean that, although EPA and DHA were higher in sow serum in all n-3 LCPUFA-supplemented sows, they could not be transported to the foetus with the same efficiency in LBW as MHBW litters. It has been shown previously that feeding n-3 LCPUFA to gilts and sows during gestation increases DHA levels in the embryo (Brazle et al, 2009;Smit et al, 2013a). DHA is important for brain development (Innis, 2007) and in central dopamine metabolism (Ng and Innis, 2003), which in turn affects feeding behaviour (McEntee and Crook, 1991).…”

Effect of different contents of extruded linseed in the sow diet on piglet fatty acid composition and hepatic desaturase expression during the post-natal period

“…Indeed, the activity of elongase and desaturase enzymes appears to be low before birth compared with the postnatal period (Clandinin et al, 1981 and, suggesting that the incorporation of n-3LC-PUFA in tissues at birth derives predominantly from placental transfer. Several studies demonstrated that 18:3n-3-rich diets increase n-3LC-PUFA accumulation in sow placenta and n-3LC-PUFA deposition in foetal tissue (Brazle et al, 2009;de Quelen et al, 2010), suggesting placental transfer of n-3LC-PUFA between the sow and foetuses. During the postnatal period, the 22:6n-3 in the high 18:3n-3 piglet liver could be mobilized via the circulation from the liver to the brain.…”