Determining the Effects of Pelleted Cranberry Vine Grains on the Ewe and Offspring during Pregnancy and Lactation.

When creating any new anti-parasitic interventions, it is important to evaluate their effects across all life stages. This study had three objectives, which were to evaluate the effect of feeding cranberry vine pellet (CVP) on (1) ewes' body weights and BCS during late gestation and lactation; (2) ewes' milk quality during lactation; and (3) lambs' body weight and growth parameters from birth to 65 days of age. Across two years, 41 Dorset ewes were fed either a 50% CVP or a matching control pellet (CON) from 104 ± 1.60 days of gestation for 62.8 ± 0.68 days of lactation. Measurements were collected from ewes (BW, BCS, and milk) and lambs (BW and body size). Milk from CVP ewes exhibited reduced milk fat and solids (p < 0.01) and increased concentrations of milk urea nitrogen (p = 0.02) when evaluated for the treatment-time. There was no significant difference in the BCS, protein, lamb BW, or growth measurements for treatment-time (p ≥ 0.05). Additional research that targets blood biochemistry and metabolic assessments is needed to fully determine the impact of this pellet on ewes and lambs.

Maternal nutrient restriction and over-feeding during gestation alter expression of key factors involved in placental development and vascularization.

Poor maternal nutrition can negatively affect fetal and placental growth and development. However, the mechanism(s) that contribute to altered placenta growth and function are not well understood. We hypothesized that poor maternal diet would impact signaling through the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) 12-CXCL4 axis and/or placental expression of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis. Using our established sheep model of poor maternal nutrition, we examined the effects of restricted- and over-feeding on ewe placentome gene and protein expression. Specifically, ewes were fed a control (CON; 100%), restricted (RES; 60%), or over (OVER; 140%) diet beginning at day 30.2 ± 0.02 of gestation, and samples were collected at days 45, 90, and 135 of gestation, representing periods of active placentation, peak placental growth, and near term, respectively. Placentomes were separated into cotyledon and caruncle, and samples snap frozen. Protein was determined by western blot and mRNA expression by real-time PCR. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and significance determined at P ≤ 0.05. Ewes fed a RES diet had decreased CXCL12 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α protein compared with CON ewes in caruncle at day 45 (P ≤0.05). In day 45 cotyledon, CXCR7 protein was increased and mTOR was decreased in RES relative to CON (P ≤0.05). At day 90, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were reduced in RES caruncle compared with CON, whereas VEGF was reduced and mTOR increased in cotyledon of RES ewes relative to CON (P ≤0.05). In OVER caruncle, at day 45 CXCR4 and VEGF were reduced and at day 90 CXCR4, CXCR7, and TNFα were reduced in caruncle compared with CON (P ≤0.05). There was no observed effect of OVER diet on protein abundance in the cotyledon (P > 0.05). Expression of IGF-II mRNA was increased in OVER at day 45 and IGFBP-3 was reduced in RES at day 90 in caruncle relative to CON (P ≤0.05). Maternal diet did not alter placentome diameter or weight (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that restricted- and over-feeding negatively impact protein and mRNA expression of key chemokines and growth factors implicated in proper placenta development and function.

Too little or too much food during gestation can lead to poor growth and health of the resulting offspring. The placenta is an important source of nutrient supply for the fetus and poor maternal diet can impair placenta growth and function. Although placental development and function are well studied, the mechanisms by which maternal diet can affect placental growth and fetal development are not well understood. Based on our previous findings that specific proteins are important regulators of placental growth and function, we used a sheep model of poor maternal nutrition to demonstrate that protein abundance of these factors is altered in the placenta. These findings demonstrate potential mechanism by which maternal diet can affect the placenta and thereby impact fetal growth.

Analysis of glycylsarcosine transport by lobster intestine using gas chromatography.

Gas chromatography was used to measure transepithelial transport of glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar) by perfused lobster (Homarus americanus) intestine. Unidirectional and net fluxes of dipeptide across the tissue and luminal factors affecting their magnitude and direction were characterized by perfusing the lumen with the dipeptide and measuring its appearance in saline on the serosal side of the organ. Transmural transport of 10 mM Gly-Sar resulted in serosal accumulation of only the dipeptide; no appearance of corresponding monomeric amino acids glycine or sarcosine was observed. Carrier-mediated and diffusional transmural intestinal transport of Gly-Sar was estimated at 1-15 mM luminal concentrations and followed a curvilinear equation providing a K m = 0.44 ± 0.17 mM, a J max = 1.27 ± 0.12 nmol cm(-2) min(-1), and a diffusional coefficient = 0.026 ± 0.008 nmol cm(-2) min(-1) mM(-1). Unidirectional mucosal to serosal and serosal to mucosal fluxes of 10 mM Gly-Sar provided a significant (p < 0.05) net absorptive flux toward the serosa of 3.54 ± 0.77 nmol cm(-2) min(-1), further supporting carrier-mediated dipeptide transport across the gut. Alkaline (pH 8.5) luminal pH more than doubled transmural Gly-Sar transport as compared to acidic (pH 5.5) luminal pH, while luminal amino acid-metal chelates (e.g., Leu-Zn-Leu), and high concentrations of amino acids alone significantly (p < 0.001) reduced intestinal Gly-Sar transfer by inhibiting carrier transport of the dipeptide. Proposed mechanisms accounting for intestinal dipeptide transport and luminal factors affecting this process are discussed.