U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2009
Citation
Published in Proceedings, Western Section, American Society of Animal Science (2009) 60: 368-371.
Abstract
Objectives were to investigate the effects of maternal nutrition and Se supply during gestation on lamb jejunal mucosa, heart, and skeletal muscle RNA, DNA, and protein. Rambouillet ewe lambs (n = 84) were allotted to a 2 x 3 factorial design including dietary factors of Se [adequate Se (ASe; 11.5 μg/kg BW) or high Se (HSe; 77.0 μg/kg BW)] and nutritional plane [60% (RES), 100% (CON), or 140% (HIGH)]. At breeding Se treatments were initiated followed by nutritional treatments on d 40 of gestation. At birth, lambs (n = 13, 14, 14, 12, 13, and 15 for ASe-RES, ASe-CON, ASe-HIGH, HSe-RES, HSe-CON, and HSe-HIGH, respectively) were removed from ewes before nursing, placed in a common pen, and group fed until necropsy at 20.6 ± 0.9 d of age. Maternal nutritional plane affected (P ≤ 0.07) offspring jejunal mucosal scrape concentration (mg/g) and total content (mg) of DNA where RES was least, HIGH greatest, and CON intermediate. Plane of nutrition also affected (P = 0.07) right ventricle DNA content where RES (189.8 ± 11.8 mg) was least, HIGH (208.2 ± 11.2 mg) intermediate, and CON (227.7 ± 11.3 mg) greatest. Maternal Se supplementation decreased (P = 0.08) left ventricle protein:DNA in offspring. For lamb right ventricle, RNA concentration was greatest (P = 0.05) for ASe-RES and least for HSe-RES with all other treatments intermediate. However when lamb right ventricle RNA was expressed as total content, HSe-RES was least (P = 0.02), ASe-HIGH intermediate, and all other treatments were greater. When RNA:DNA was calculated in right ventricle, ASe-RES and HSe-HIGH were greatest (P = 0.02), ASe-CON intermediate, and ASe-HIGH, HSe- RES, and HSe-CON least. Skeletal muscle RNA concentration and RNA:DNA were least (P < 0.05) for ASe-HIGH, intermediate for HSe-RES and HSe-CON, and greatest for ASe-RES, ASe-CON, and HSe-HIGH. These data indicate cellularity estimates have tissue specific responses to maternal nutritional plane and Se supply.