Reproductive performance and gestational effort in relation to dietary fatty acids in guinea pigs

Abstract

BackgroundDietary saturated (SFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids can highly affect reproductive functions by providing additional energy, modulating the biochemical properties of tissues, and hormone secretions. In precocial mammals such as domestic guinea pigs the offspring is born highly developed. Gestation might be the most critical reproductive period in this species and dietary fatty acids may profoundly influence the gestational effort. We therefore determined the hormonal status at conception, the reproductive success, and body mass changes during gestation in guinea pigs maintained on diets high in PUFAs or SFAs, or a control diet.ResultsThe diets significantly affected the females’ plasma fatty acid status at conception, while cortisol and estrogen levels did not differ among groups. SFA females exhibited a significantly lower body mass and litter size, while the individual birth mass of pups did not differ among groups and a general higher pup mortality rate in larger litters was diminished by PUFAs and SFAs. The gestational effort, determined by a mother’s body mass gain during gestation, increased with total litter mass, whereas this increase was lowest in SFA and highest in PUFA individuals. The mother’s body mass after parturition did not differ among groups and was positively affected by the total litter mass in PUFA females.ConclusionsWhile SFAs reduce the litter size, but also the gestational effort as a consequence, PUFA supplementation may contribute to an adjustment of energy accumulations to the total litter mass, which may both favor a mother’s body condition at parturition and perhaps increase the offspring survival at birth.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40104-017-0158-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sexual Receptivity, Reproductive Hormones and Performance Traits of Aging Female Rabbits as Affected by Different Sources of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

“…Moreover, Kowalska (2008) found that the female rabbits fed a complete diet fish oil (n-3) supplemented had a quantitavely and qualititavely better milk fat content, higher fertility prolificacy values, and higher body weight of young rabbits at birth. The observed effects in this study regarding the increase of litter size, fertility and higher body weight at birth support the conclusion of Nemeth et al, (2017) who recorded that PUFAs supplementation may contribute to an adjustment of energy accumulations to the total litter mass, which may both favor a mother's body condition at parturition and perhaps increase the offspring survival at birth.…”

Maternal effects on reproduction in the precocial European hare (Lepus europaeus)

“…Reproduction is a costly process [ 1 – 4 ] and is directly linked to the evolution of reproductive strategies [ 5 ] and population dynamics [ 6 ]. In female mammals, reproduction is the most energetically demanding life-history phase [ 7 ], so it is firmly regulated by body condition and food availability [ 8 ]. Of the reproductive processes, lactation is the most energetically demanding for female mammals; it results in maximum metabolic rates and energetic costs [ 1 , 2 , 9 , 10 ].…”

New technique of sex preselection for increasing female ratio in boar sperm model

“…Although hypothetical ratio of the X chromosome‐bearing (X) and Y chromosome‐bearing (Y) spermatozoa is 1:1 after spermatogenesis, the actual sex ratio at birth is not often equal (Baxter et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 1988). Several factors are associated with sex ratio alteration, including birth weight (Vazquez‐Gomez et al., 2018), nutrition (Nemeth et al., 2017), season of birth, diseases and stress (Rorie, 1999), different levels of hormones (James, 2001) and time of insemination relative to ovulation (Soede et al., 2000); hence, the actual sex ratio at birth is difficult to predict or control. Sex preselection technology using flow cytometry has been developed and combined with artificial insemination (AI) to improve production efficiency and facilitate livestock management (Amann, 1999; DeJarnette et al., 2009; Garner, 2006).…”