Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal overgrowth increase risks to postnatal health. Maternal nutrition is the major intrauterine environmental factor that alters fetal weight. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of maternal nutrition on fetal development are not entirely clear. We developed a pig model, and using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ), we investigated alterations in the placental proteome of gilts on a normal-energy-intake (Con) and high-energy-intake (HE) diet. In the Con group, heavy and light fetuses were found at the tubal and cervical ends of the uterus respectively at 90 d of gestation. Moreover, the heavy fetuses had a higher glucose concentration than the light fetuses. However, a higher uniformity was noted in the HE group. Placental promoters between these two positions indicated that 78 and 50 differentially expressed proteins were detected in the Con and HE groups respectively. In the Con group, these proteins were involved in lipid metabolism (HADHA, AACS, CAD), nutrient transport (GLUT, SLC27A1), and energy metabolism (NDUFV1, NDUFV2, ATP5C1). However, in the HE group they mainly participated in transcriptional and translational regulation, and intracellular vesicular transport. Our findings revealed that maternal nutrition may alter birth weight mainly through the modulation of placental lipid and energy metabolism, which also provides a possible mechanism to explain the higher uniformity of fetal weight in gilts fed a HE diet.

Excessive fat intake is a global health concern as women of childbearing age increasingly ingest a high fat diet. We therefore determined the association of a maternal high fat diet in pregnancy with offspring ovarian health during the gestation and postnatal female offspring in pig a model. Thirty-two Yorkshire gilts with similar bodyweights mated at the third estrus were randomly assigned to two nutrition levels of either a control (CON, crude fat: 7.27%) or a high fat diet (HFD, crude fat: 11.78%). Ovary samples were collected during the fetal (Day 55 (g55) and Day 90 of gestation (g90)) and offspring (prepuberty Day 160 (d160) and age at puberty) period to detect ovary development, antioxidant status and apoptosis cells. Maternal HFD did not influence notch signaling gene expression, which regulates primordial follicle formation and transformation, and ovarian histological effect at g55 and g90. However, maternal HFD reduced the numbers of large follicles at d160 and small follicle numbers upon puberty compared to CON in offspring. The results also revealed that the antioxidant index of total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), cytoplasmic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and mRNA expression were higher in the CON than the HFD at g90 and d160, whereas, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was decreased in the CON. Maternal HFD increased the inhibitor of the apoptosis-related gene of B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl2) mRNA expression at g90 and d160, whereas, pro-apoptotic-related gene bcl-2 assaciated X protein (bax) was reduced. These data show that the maternal high fat diet does not delay fetal ovarian development, but it changes ovarian health by the induction of oxidative stress and accelerating cell apoptosis in offspring.

Birth is one of the most important events of animal production agriculture, as newborns are abruptly forced to adapt to environmental and nutritional disruptions that can lead to oxidative damage and delay in growth. Taurine (Tau) is an important regulator of oxidative stress and possesses growth-enhancing properties. In the present study, we investigated the effects of dietary Tau supplementation in gilts during late gestation and lactation on the growth performance of piglets by assessing intestinal morphology and barrier function, and oxidative stress status. Sixteen gilts were randomly allocated to the Con (basal diet) and Tau (basal diet with 1% Tau) groups from 75 d of gestation to weaning. Maternal dietary Tau supplementation significantly increased weaning weight and average daily gain weight in piglets. Piglets in the Tau group had higher villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VCR), ZO-1 protein expression, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content in the jejunum. Meanwhile, Tau bebeficial affected the milk quality of gilts, as indicated by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and increased total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activity. Furthermore, Tau supplementation increased T-SOD activity in plasma and SOD2 protein expression in the jejunum in the piglets. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that dietary Tau supplementation to gilts improves growth performance in piglets, owing to improved intestinal morphology and barrier function, as well as inhibition of oxidative stress.

Within-litter variations in birth weight (BW) influence piglet postnatal growth and survival rate. The present study investigated the effects of the valine metabolite 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid (3-HIB) on the birth weight of piglets by supplementing the sow diet with 3-HIB during late pregnancy. Forty sows were assigned randomly to the control (Con) group and 3-HIB supplementation groups (15 mg/kg body weight), with 20 sows per group. The experiment was conducted from day 85 of pregnancy until farrowing. 3-HIB supplementation significantly decreased the number of piglets with body weight < 1 kg, litter weight variation, and stillbirth number (p < 0.05) but had no significant effect on the organ index of newborn piglets. Compared to the control group, 3-HIB supplementation significantly increased the concentration of triglycerides in the placental tissue of sows (p < 0.05). The levels of total monounsaturated fatty acids and partial polyunsaturated fatty acids (C20:4 n-6, C20:5 n-3, and C22:6) in the plasma of piglets were significantly higher in the 3-HIB supplementation group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The results of lipid metabolism-related protein expression indicated that compared to the control group, the 3-HIB group significantly increased the expression of lipid transport-related proteins (solute carrier family 27a (SLC27A1) and fatty acid binding protein 3 [FABP3]) in the placenta of sows and fatty acid oxidation protein (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 [CPT-1]) in the muscle of piglets (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adding 3-HIB to the sow diet enhances piglet energy supply by promoting maternal-to-fetal fatty acid transport and fatty acid oxidation in piglet muscles, ultimately reducing within-litter body weight variation in newborn piglets.

This study aimed to explore the effects of dietary supplementation with soy isoflavones (SI) in the later stages of pregnancy on the antioxidant capacity of sows and intestinal health of newborn piglets. Forty sows with similar body weights and parity (average of 1–2 parity) were randomly divided into two groups (n = 20): the control group and SI group (dose: 100 mg/kg of feed). Feeding was started on day 85 of gestation and continued until farrowing. SI supplementation significantly increased the antioxidant levels in the serum of the sows and newborn piglets, placental tissue, and the intestinal tract of the piglets. This observation was indicated by a decreased activity of the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA); increased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase; and enhanced total antioxidant capacity. The organ indices of the intestine and liver and the villus height/crypt depth of the jejunum of newborn piglets significantly increased. SI supplementation activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway in the jejunum of neonatal piglets and the expression of placental antioxidant proteins, and it downregulated the expression of the Bax and Caspase 3 apoptotic proteins in the placenta and neonatal piglets. Intestinal and placental barrier integrity was strengthened. For example, ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin 1 exhibited elevated expression. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with SI enhanced the antioxidant capacity of sows and piglets and improved the health of the placenta and intestinal tract of newborn piglets.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of daidzein on the proliferation of porcine mammary epithelial cells (PMECs) and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. PMECs were treated with varying daidzein or rapamycin levels, and then cell proliferation and mTOR pathway protein expression were detected. When the concentration of daidzein added was in the range of 0–80 μM, cell proliferation was significantly promoted (p < 0.05). These results were in agreement with those obtained using the 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Daidzein administration at 20 and 40 μM concentrations triggered significant activation of the mTOR signaling cascade and enhanced expression of downstream cell-cycle-regulatory proteins (cyclin D1) (p < 0.05). Moreover, exposure to 40 μM daidzein attenuated apoptotic signaling, as evidenced by reduced levels of Bax protein and cleaved caspase-3 (p < 0.05). These effects were reversed when rapamycin was used to inhibit the mTOR pathway. In conclusion, our findings suggest that daidzein activates PMEC proliferation via the mTOR pathway. The present work not only characterizes new functional properties of daidzein but also establishes mechanistic evidence supporting its role in augmenting sow lactation efficiency.