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Maternal nutrition in early-mid gestation and placental size in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Lynne Clarke ,
Lindsay Heasman ,
Darren T. Juniper  and
Michael E. Symonds
Lynne Clarke
Affiliation:
School of Animal and Microbial Sciences and University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK
Lindsay Heasman
Affiliation:
Department of Child Health, University Hospital, Queen's Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
Darren T. Juniper
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK
Michael E. Symonds*
Affiliation:
Department of Child Health, University Hospital, Queen's Medical School, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
*
*Corresponding author:Dr Michael Symonds, fax +44 (0) 115 970 9382, email Michael.Symonds@nottingham.ac.uk
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Abstract

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We investigated the influence of restricted maternal nutrition between 30 and 80 d gestation on placental growth. Singleton-bearing ewes were fed on either 0.6 (i.e. nutrient restricted) times their energy requirements or 2.25 times this amount (i.e. controls) up to 80 d gestation, when their placentas and fetuses were sampled and analysed. Nutrient-restricted ewes lost body condition score but not body weight and had lower plasma thyroid hormone concentrations than controls, but there were no differences in plasma glucose, non-esterified fatty acids or 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations between groups. There was no effect of maternal nutrient restriction on fetal weight, conformation or organ weights with the exception of brain weight which was lower in nutrient-restricted ewes. Nutrient restriction had no effect on total placental weight, or proportion of inverted placentomes, but was associated with an increased abundance of small placentomes and decreased weight of the fetal but not maternal components of the placenta. Fetal cotyledons from nutrient-restricted ewes also had a lower DNA but higher haemoglobin concentration than those sampled from controls. The plasma concentration of triiodothyronine in umbilical cord plasma was also increased in fetuses from nutrient-restricted ewes. In conclusion, maternal nutrient restriction during early-mid gestation is associated with a smaller placenta.

Keywords

PlacentaregnancySheep
Type
Animal Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 79 , Issue 4 , April 1998 , pp. 359 - 364
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1998

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