• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• 제22권12호
• /
• pp.1633-1639
• /
• 2009

This study investigated the effect of maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy on the growth and development of ovine fetal visceral organs. One hundred Mongolian ewes were mated at a synchronized oestrus and divided into three groups and offered 0.175 MJ ME $kgw^{-0.75}\;d^{-1}$ (Restricted Group1; RG1), 0.33 MJ ME $kgw^{-0.75}\;d^{-1}$ (Restricted Group2; RG2) and ad libitum access to feed (Control Group; CG) during late pregnancy (90 days). Selected animals in each group were slaughtered immediately at d 90 of pregnancy and after parturition (neonatal lambs), and major visceral organs were removed and weighed separately. The results indicated that the weights of lung (p<0.01), spleen (p<0.01), heart (p<0.05), liver (p<0.05) and abomasum (p<0.01) in RG1 were significantly lighter than those of CG. For RG2, only the weights of the lung (p<0.05) and spleen (p<0.01) were significantly lighter than those of CG; when expressed as a percentage of body weight, significance was retained in the spleen (p<0.01) for both restricted groups, but the percentage of brain in RG1 was significantly higher than that in CG (p<0.01). For lung and spleen, the amount of DNA was significantly lower (p<0.01) in both groups of restricted neonatal lambs compared to CG; however, there was a significant difference only between RG1 and CG for protein: DNA ratio (p<0.01). The DNA content of kidney, abomasum and jejunum were decreased (p<0.05) in RG1 neonatal lambs, but protein: DNA ratio in the liver was decreased compared with that of CG (p<0.05). The plane of maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy had a significant effect on the growth and development of fetal visceral organs, which altered ontogeny of fetal organ growth and development. These perturbations in fetal visceral development may have significant implications on postnatal growth and adult health.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제2권1호
• /
• pp.82-93
• /
• 1994

DA-125, a new anthracycline antitumor antibiotic, was at dose levels of 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg/day administered intravenously to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats during the organogenetic period. Two-third of dams per group were subjected to caesarean section on day 20 of pregnancy and the remaining 10 dams per group were allowed to deliver. Effects of test substance on dams, embryonal development of Fl fetuses, as well as growth, behaviour and mating performance of Fl offspring were examined. 1. At 1 mg/kg, one out of the 10 dams showed difficult delivery. A decrease in food consumption, a loss in body weight and a decrease of spleen weight were found in this dose level group. At 0.3 mg/kg, difficult deliverys were observed in two out of the 10 dams. 2. At 1 mg/kg, an increased resorption rate and a decreased fetal weight were found. In addition, various types of external, visceral and skeletal malformations occurred at an incidence of 11.9, 41.8 and 14.5%, respectively. 3. At 1 mg/kg, body weight reduction, small eyeball, hydrocephalus and atrophy of sexual organs were observed in Fl offspring. One male pup receiving 0.3 mg/kg died on day 2 of lactation. The results show that the no-effect dose levels (NOELs) for dams and Fl offspring are 0.1 mg/kg/day and NOEL for Fl fetuses is 0.3 mg/kg/day.