Pregnancy and placental development in horses: an update

Chavatte‐Palmer, Pascale; Derisoud, Emilie; Robles, Morgane

doi:10.1016/j.domaniend.2021.106692

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 125 publications

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“…The equine placenta is a remarkable organ, growing rapidly and constantly differentiating (Chavatte-Palmer et al 2022). The entire conceptus is only 26 mm at day 20, yet by term, the placenta fills the entirety of the uterine body and the two horns and weighs around 3-5 kg.…”

Section: Placental Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lethal variants of equine pregnancy: is it the placenta or foetus leading the conceptus in the wrong direction?

Shilton

Kahler²,

Roach³

et al. 2022

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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Embryonic and foetal loss remain one of the greatest challenges in equine reproductive health with 5-10% of established day 15 pregnancies and a further 5-10% of day 70 pregnancies failing to produce a viable foal. The underlying reason for these losses is variable but ultimately most cases will be attributed to pathologies of the environment of the developing embryo and later foetus, or a defect intrinsic to the embryo itself that leads to lethality at any stage of gestation right up to birth. Historically, much research has focused on the maternal endometrium, endocrine and immune responses in pregnancy and pregnancy loss, as well as infectious agents such as pathogens, and until recently very little was known about the both small and large genetic variants associated with reduced foetal viability in the horse. In this review, we first introduce key aspects of equine placental and foetal development. We then discuss incidence, risk factors and causes of pregnancy loss, with the latter focusing on genetic variants described to date that can impact equine foetal viability.

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Section: Placental Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lethal variants of equine pregnancy: is it the placenta or foetus leading the conceptus in the wrong direction?

Shilton

Kahler²,

Roach³

et al. 2022

Reprod. Fertil. Dev.

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“…Alterations in the early environment, from conception until the end of puberty, have been demonstrated to affect the development of the individual and his health in adulthood in both humans and animal models. The developmental origins of health and diseases (DOHaD) can also be applied to the horse [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], as embryo transfer [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], maternal overnutrition [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], undernutrition [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and obesity [ 17 ] have been shown to affect the development of foals until at least 2 years of age.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration

Robles,

Rousseau-Ralliard,

Dubois

et al. 2023

Veterinary Sciences

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In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insulin-resistant, presented increased systemic inflammation, and were more affected by osteoarticular lesions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of maternal obesity on placental structure and function, as well as the fatty acid profile in the plasma of mares and foals, colostrum, and milk until 90 days of lactation, which, to our knowledge, has been poorly studied in the horse. Mares from both groups were fed the same diet during pregnancy and lactation. During lactation, mares were housed in pasture. A strong heat wave, followed by a drought, occurred during their 2nd and 3rd months of lactation (summer of 2016 in the Limousin region, France). In the present article, term placental morphometry, structure (stereology), and gene expression (RT-qPCR, genes involved in nutrient transport, growth, and development, as well as vascularization) were studied. Plasma of mares and their foals, as well as colostrum and milk, were sampled at birth, 30 days, and 90 days of lactation. The fatty acid composition of these samples was measured using gas chromatography. No differences between the N and O groups were observed for term placental morphometry, structure, or gene expression. No difference in plasma fatty acid composition was observed between groups in mares. The plasma fatty acid profile of O foals was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an altered placental lipid metabolism between birth and 90 days of age. These results are in line with the increased systemic inflammation and altered glucose metabolism observed until 18 months of age in this group. The colostrum fatty acid profile of O mares was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an increased transfer and/or desaturation of long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, O foals received a colostrum poorer in medium-chain saturated fatty acid, a source of immediate energy for the newborn that can also play a role in immunity and gut microbiota development. Differences in milk fatty acid composition indicated a decreased ability to adapt to heat stress in O mares, which could have further affected the metabolic development of their foals. In conclusion, maternal obesity affected the fatty acid composition of milk, thus also influencing the foal’s plasma fatty acid composition and likely participating in the developmental programming observed in growing foals.

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Placental abnormalities associated with Leptospira interrogans infection in naturally infected mares

Aymée,

Dantas,

Ezepha

et al. 2024

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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Pregnancy and placental development in horses: an update

Cited by 3 publications

References 125 publications

Lethal variants of equine pregnancy: is it the placenta or foetus leading the conceptus in the wrong direction?

Lethal variants of equine pregnancy: is it the placenta or foetus leading the conceptus in the wrong direction?

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration

Placental abnormalities associated with Leptospira interrogans infection in naturally infected mares

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