Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T14:04:20.987Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Monitoring blood plasma leptin and lactogenic hormones in pregnant sows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2014

R. Saleri*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
A. Sabbioni
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
V. Cavalli
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
P. Superchi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, Università di Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43126, Parma, Italy
Get access

Abstract

The mechanism of action of leptin in pregnant breeding sows, in which hyperphagia is managed through dietary strategies, is yet to be clarified. The aim of this study was to monitor leptin concentrations and their interactions with lactogenic hormones in Large White×Landrace breeding multiparous sows (n=15). All sows showed a normal body condition (mean body condition score: 2.96). Blood samples were collected the day after weaning the litters, at insemination, every 15 days up to day 45 of pregnancy and every 7 days from day 46 to farrowing. At delivery, the placenta was collected for the analysis of leptin and leptin receptor expressions. Plasma leptin levels increased from the end of mid gestation (day 72) and remained high until farrowing (P<0.05). As expected, plasma prolactin (PRL), low during most of pregnancy, increased during the 2 weeks before farrowing (P<0.05), whereas progesterone levels reached plateau at 30 days of gestation and decreased at farrowing (P<0.05). Cortisol levels peaked close to farrowing (P<0.05). Leptin was expressed in the placenta, where the receptor expression analysis showed the presence of the short form but not of the long form. A positive correlation was found between leptin and PRL concentrations during mid (r=0.430; P<0.001) and late (r=0.687; P<0.001) pregnancy, and with progesterone in early pregnancy (r=0.462; P<0.05). During late gestation, a positive correlation was observed between leptin and cortisol (r=0.585; P<0.001). Our results suggested that, in restrictively fed pregnant sows, the leptin levels increased from the end of mid pregnancy to delivery, confirming the presence of leptin resistance. We showed a correlation between leptin and lactogenic hormones during different stages of pregnancy in sows. Lactogenic hormones show pregnancy-specific changes in their secretion and all may become involved in modulating leptin signal.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amdi, C, Giblin, L, Ryan, T, Stickland, NC and Lawlor, PG 2014. Maternal backfat depth in gestating sows has a greater influence on offspring growth and carcass lean yield than maternal feed allocation during gestation. Animal 8, 236244.Google Scholar
Anagnostoulis, S, Karayiannakis, AJ, Lambropoulou, M, Efthimiadou, A, Polychronidis, A and Simopoulos, C 2008. Human leptin induces angiogenesis in vivo . Cytokine 42, 353357.Google Scholar
Augustine, RA and Grattan, DR 2008. Induction of central leptin resistance in hyperphagic pseudopregnant rats by chronic prolactin infusion. Endocrinology 149, 10491055.Google Scholar
Borghetti, P, De Angelis, E, Saleri, R, Cavalli, V, Cacchioli, A, Corradi, A, Mocchegiani, E and Martelli, P 2006. Peripheral T lymphocyte changes in neonatal piglets: relationship with growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and cortisol changes. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 110, 1725.Google Scholar
Breton, C 2013. The hypothalamic-adipose axis is a key target of developmental programming by maternal nutritional manipulation. Journal of Endocrinology 216, R19R31.Google Scholar
Brunton, PJ and Russell, JA 2008. The expectant brain: adapting for motherhood. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, 1125.Google Scholar
Cools, A, Maes, D, Decaluwé, R, Buyse, J, van Kempen, TA and Janssens, GP 2013. Peripartum changes in orexigenic and anorexigenic hormones in relation to back fat thickness and feeding strategy of sows. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 45, 2227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, DE, Bohm, RP Jr, Purcell, J, Ratterree, MS, Swan, KF, Castracane, VD and Henson, MC 2004. Two isoforms of the leptin receptor are enhanced in pregnancy-specific tissues and soluble leptin receptor is enhanced in maternal serum with advancing gestation in the baboon. Biology of Reproduction 71, 17461752.Google Scholar
Forhead, AJ and Fowden, AL 2009. The hungry fetus? Role of leptin as a nutritional signal before birth. Journal of Physiology 587, 11451152.Google Scholar
Grattan, DR, Ladyman, SR and Augustine, RA 2007. Hormonal induction of leptin resistance during pregnancy. Physiology & Behavior 91, 366374.Google Scholar
Grueso, E, Rocha, M and Puerta, M 2001. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid leptin levels are maintained despite enhanced food intake in progesterone-treated rats. European Journal of Endocrinology 144, 659665.Google Scholar
Guillemet, R, Dourmad, JY and Meunier-Salaün, MC 2006. Feeding behavior in primiparous lactating sows: impact of a high-fiber diet during pregnancy. Journal of Animal Science 84, 24742481.Google Scholar
Harris, RB 2000. Leptin-much more than a satiety signal. Annual Review of Nutrition 20, 4575.Google Scholar
Hauguel-de Mouzon, S, Lepercq, J and Catalano, P 2006. The known and unknown of leptin in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 194, 15371545.Google Scholar
Henson, MC and Castracane, VD 2006. Leptin in pregnancy: an update. Biology of Reproduction 74, 218229.Google Scholar
Houseknecht, KL and Portocarrero, CP 1998. Leptin and its receptors: regulators of whole-body energy homeostasis. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 15, 457475.Google Scholar
Ladyman, SR 2008. Leptin resistance during pregnancy in the rat. Journal of Neuroendocrinology 20, 269277.Google Scholar
Ladyman, SR, Augustine, RA and Grattan, DR 2010. Hormone interactions regulating energy balance during pregnancy. Journal of Neuroendocrinology 22, 805817.Google Scholar
Machteld, W, Considine, RV and Van Gaal, LF 2000. Human leptin: from an adipocyte hormone to an endocrine mediator. European Journal of Endocrinology 143, 293311.Google Scholar
Nagaishi, VS, Cardinali, LI, Zampieri, TT, Furigo, IC, Metzger, M and Donato, J Jr 2014. Possible crosstalk between leptin and prolactin during pregnancy. Neuroscience 259, 7183.Google Scholar
Nissen, PM, Danielsen, VO, Jorgensen, PF and Oksbjerg, N 2003. Increased maternal nutrition of sows has no beneficial effects on muscle fiber number or postnatal growth and has no impact on the meat quality of the offspring. Journal of Animal Science 81, 30183027.Google Scholar
Ponderato, N, Grasselli, F, Saleri, R and Tamanini, C 2000. Factors modulating apoptosis: an in vitro study in swine granulosa cells. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 35, 213219.Google Scholar
Roy, AF, Benomar, Y, Bailleux, V, Vacher, CM, Aubourg, A, Gertler, A, Djiane, J and Taouis, M 2007. Lack of cross-desensitization between leptin and prolactin signaling pathways despite the induction of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 and PTP-1B. Journal of Endocrinology 195, 341350.Google Scholar
SAS 2003. User’s guide: statistics version 9.1.3. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Sauvé, D and Woodside, B 2000. Neuroanatomical specificity of prolactin-induced hyperphagia in virgin female rats. Brain Research 868, 306314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schneider, JE 2004. Energy balance and reproduction. Physiology & Behavior 81, 289317.Google Scholar
Smolinska, N, Kaminski, T, Siawrys, G and Przala, J 2009. Long form of leptin receptor gene and protein expression in the porcine trophoblast and uterine tissues during early pregnancy and the oestrous cycle. Animal Reproduction Science 113, 125136.Google Scholar
Sugden, MC, Langdown, ML, Munns, MJ and Holness, MJ 2001. Maternal glucocorticoid treatment modulates placental leptin and leptin receptor expression and materno-fetal leptin physiology during late pregnancy, and elicits hypertension associated with hyperleptinaemia in the early growth retarded adult offspring. European Journal of Endocrinology 145, 529539.Google Scholar
Summer, A, Saleri, R, Malacarne, M, Bussolati, S, Beretti, V, Sabbioni, A and Superchi, P 2009. Leptin in sow: influence on the resumption of cycle activity after weaning and on the piglet gain. Livestock Science 124, 107111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tessier, DR, Ferraro, ZM and Gruslin, A 2013. Role of leptin in pregnancy: consequences of maternal obesity. Placenta 34, 205211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trayhurn, P, Bing, C and Wood, IS 2006. Adipose tissue and adipokines-energy regulation from the human perspective. Journal of Nutrition 136, 1935S1939S.Google Scholar
Trujillo, ML, Spuch, C, Carro, E and Señarís, R 2011. Hyperphagia and central mechanisms for leptin resistance during pregnancy. Endocrinology 152, 13551365.Google Scholar
Vaisse, C, Halaas, JL, Horvath, CM, Darnell, JE Jr, Stoffel, M and Friedman, JM 1996. Leptin activation of Stat3 in the hypothalamus of wild-type and ob/ob mice but not db/db mice. Nature Genetics 14, 9597.Google Scholar
Zhang, Y, Proenca, R, Maffei, M, Barone, M, Leopold, L and Friedman, JM 1994. Positional cloning of the mouse obese gene and its human homologue. Nature 372, 425432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed