The effect of maternal undernutrition on muscle development in the ovine fetus*

Authors : Berjan DEMİRTAŞ, Mukaddes ÖZCAN

Pages : 297-303

Doi:10.3906/sag-1202-77

View : 15 | Download : 4

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The effect of maternal undernutrition on muscle development of near-term ovine fetuses was studied in 2 experiments. In each experiment, Welsh mountain ewes were randomly assigned to either control insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(C); or nutrient-restricted insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(R); groups. In the first experiment, mild maternal undernutrition insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(85% of daily nutritional requirement insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(DNR););, and in the second experiment, severe maternal undernutrition insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(50% of DNR);, were imposed between 0 and 70 days of gestation insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(dg);. Controls for both groups were maintained on 100% of their DNR throughout the experiment. In each experiment, ewes were killed at 126 ± 1 dg by an intravenous injection of pentobarbitone. The semitendinosus muscle was dissected, and sections were stained for alkali-stable ATPase. The total number of primary and secondary fibers and the total number of fibers were estimated. In both experiments, there was a significant decrease in primary, secondary, and total fiber numbers insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05 for each);. We speculate that the decrease in primary fiber number in both experiments is due to some of the large, central, and alkali-ATPase-negative insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(slow); fibers at near-term being secondary fibers. Therefore, the real primary fibers may not be affected.
Keywords : Key words Nutrition, gestation, muscle, fetus, sheep