Ewes at two sites were fed to be either condition score 2 or 3 by Day 90 of pregnancy and then grazed on various levels of feed-on-offer (FOO) from Day 90 of pregnancy until weaning, to investigate whether nutrition of Merino ewes during pregnancy and lactation affected the muscle, fat and immunity to worms of their progeny. Eye muscle and fat depth at the C-site, and faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) of the progeny were measured between 7 - 27 months of age. Ewe condition score at day 90 of pregnancy did not impact largely on the eye muscle depth, fat depth or FWEC of the progeny. Increasing FOO available to ewes during the last 60 days of pregnancy and throughout lactation increased the eye muscle depth of progeny at one site and decreased the fat depth of progeny at the other site (P<0.05), but did not affect the majority of FWECs of the progeny at either site. The FWECs of the progeny were low, indicating a relatively low larval challenge, which limits the likelihood of differences in immunity to worms between the progeny being expressed. This Masters demonstrated that levels of nutrition available to Merino ewes typical of commercial grazing conditions had only small effects on the eye muscle and fat depth at the C-site, and on the faecal worm egg counts of their progeny

The goal of a cow-calf producer is to produce a calf each year per cow. Research suggests that first year heifers struggle breeding back with their second calf because of the adjustments to new range/main herd conditions and the partitioning of nutrients between gaining weight, milk production, and gestation. This study was conducted at the V-V ranch at the University of Arizona for five years and looked at the effects on young cows when calves were weaned from first year heifers at 80 days rather than 205 days. Early weaning allows for gestational benefits because they are given the opportunity to adapt to herd conditions by applying feed resources to the in utero fetus and their own body condition rather than lactation. All first year heifers were included over three years, and were randomly assigned to two groups, normal weaning (NW) or early weaning (EW). This resulted in 122 heifers in the group whose calves were EW and 119 heifers in the group whose calves were NW. Heifers that were in the EW group bred back at a 27% higher rate in their second year, and had 15% greater longevity in the herd. Calves that were in utero when the nursing calves were early weaned were 16.4 kg heavier at weaning. Part of this was due to the age of the calf and part to gestational health. Early weaning was an effective strategy for improving reproductive performance of first year heifers as well as their survival rate in the herd to 5 years of age. It also resulted in improved performance for their in utero calves.

Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / Several studies conducted in laboratories at the University of the Western Cape has demonstrated an interference with the parenchymal lung tissue of the offspring when exposed to nicotine (smoking cigarettes and/or Nicotine Replacement Therapy [NRT]), maternally i.e. during gestation and lactation. This in turn, decreases the amount of air sacs (alveolar number) resulting in a reduced surface area available for efficient gas exchange in the offspring. Since the foetus and offspring are only exposed to nicotine during gestation and lactation, emphysema- like lesions appear to develop after nicotine withdrawal in the foetus. It has been proposed that during lung development in utero, a change in the "program" that controls the maintenance of lung integrity will occur in the long term due to the initial maternal nicotine exposure. Therefore, animals that were exposed to maternal nicotine resemble lungs that have undergone rapid, premature aging caused by cellular senescence. Furthermore, energy metabolism and structural changes in the glycolytic pathways appear irreversibly slower compared to animals that were not exposed to nicotine via the mother during gestation and lactation, resulting in a reduction in the anti-oxidant capacity of lung development. Previous studies have also shown that strong anti-oxidants supplemented by smoking mothers during gestation and lactation could possibly resist change in the "program" which controls lung development and integrity of the offspring in the long term. Lycopene – as a strong anti-oxidant supplementation have shown to decrease the alveolar volume and increase the alveolar surface area for better gas exchange after the offspring has been exposed to maternal nicotine. In this study I have treated pregnant wistar rats with nicotine, tomato juice (containing lycopene among other phytonutrients), and a combination of nicotine and tomato juice during gestation, to determine various changes in the lung structure and signs of premature aging in the lungs of the offspring. I have also performed various staining techniques such as H&E, connective tissue and β- galactosidase staining which indicated whether maternal nicotine exposure indeed induced premature cellular senescence in the lungs of the offspring. / National Research Foundation

In utero undernutrition is associated with increased risk for insulin resistance, obesity, and cardiovascular disease during adult life. A common phenotype associated with low birth weight is reduced skeletal muscle mass. Given the central role of skeletal muscle in whole body metabolism, we hypothesized that predisposition to metabolic disease is, in part, due to low oxidative capacity and dysfunctional mitochondrial energetics in muscle. We used an experimental mouse model system of maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy to examine female offspring from undernourished dams (U) and control offspring from ad libitum fed dams (C). U have increased adiposity and decreased glucose tolerance compared to C. Strikingly, when U are put on a 4 week 40% calorie restricted diet they lose half as much weight as calorie restricted controls. Skeletal muscle mitochondria from U have decreased coupled and uncoupled respiration and increased maximal respiration compared to C. In permeabilized fiber preparations from mixed fiber type muscle, U have decreased mitochondrial content and decreased adenylate free leak respiration, fatty acid oxidative capacity, and state 3 respiratory capacity through complex I. Fiber maximal oxidative phosphorylation capacity does not differ between U and C. We next aimed to determine if the impaired skeletal muscle energetics observed in U also exist in primary muscle cells derived from these mice. We measured oxidative and glycolytic capacities in primary myotubes from U and C using cellular bioenergetics. Myotubes from U have decreased resting respiration and increased glycolysis compared to myotubes from C. There was no difference in myotube mitochondrial content. Findings suggest that undernutrition in utero causes a primary muscle defect. Energetics in cardiac muscle were also examined. U have impaired cardiac muscle homogenate energetics, including decreased fatty acid oxidative capacity, decreased maximum oxidative phosphorylation rate, and decreased proton leak respiration. Additionally, we measured plasma acylcarnitine levels and found that short-chain acylcarnitines are increased in U. Overall, results reveal that in utero undernutrition alters metabolic physiology through a profound effect on skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle energetics. These effects may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms which could be explored in future research.

We established that acute adrenergic receptor stimulation in β-cells suppresses oxidative metabolism. This effect provides the basis for understanding how CAs reduce cell proliferation. Furthermore, the effects of acute CA on Min6 cells were distinguished from chronic CA culture using proteomics. Together, the RNAseq, qPCR and proteomic studies support a role for adrenergic receptor signaling in the regulation of proliferaton in β-cells. This work describes the genetic and proteomic profile underlying chronic adrenergic signaling and identifies CA independent suppression of β-cell growth and metabolism. Through the use of multiple models and comparative bioinformatics, we refined the list of molecular dysfunctions associated with the IUGR pathology to a set of specific and testable adrenergic targets.

The objectives of this study were to determine: the effects of maternal melatonin (MEL) supplementation during late gestation on the histological and molecular regulation in the Longissimus dorsi (LM) muscle of fetal bovine offspring, composition and gene expression of fetal perirenal (PR) adipose tissue, and LM gene expression in postnatal offspring at birth and d 195 of age. Maternal supplementation of MEL during late gestation resulted in no difference in calf fetal body weight or birth weight. However, at d 195 of age, calves from MEL treated dams had an average body weight increase of 20 kg. Fetal LM weight and length tended to be increased in calves from MEL treated dams. Fetal gene expression of calves from MEL treated dams resulted in: increased LM adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-α (AMPK) and decreased PR adiponectin (ADIPOQ), CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA), proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARg), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD). The improved metabolic status of LM coupled with the decrease in adipogenic gene expression, could result in calves from MEL treated dams having improved lean muscle accretion and reduced overall adiposity during postnatal development.

Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone most often associated with circadian rhythms, but also has antioxidant and vasodilative properties. Through these properties, exogenous melatonin supplementation has been shown to increase both fetal and postnatal parameters in livestock species, however no research has been performed in swine. This project was split into a prenatal and postnatal study, wherein sows were supplemented from approximately gestational day 38 to 100 before undergoing a terminal hysterectomy for the prenatal portion, and from gestational day 60 to farrowing. Melatonin increased fetal morphometrics in a seasonal dependent manner, where fetuses from melatonin supplemented sows had increased measurements in the Spring replicate. Across the Spring and Fall replicates of the prenatal study, melatonin altered expression of circadian regulatory, metabolic, and myogenic genes within the longissimus dorsi. During the postnatal study, offspring from melatonin supplemented dams had increased body weight and altered circadian regulatory, metabolic, and myogenic gene expression.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of low input development protocols on Southeastern replacement beef females and their offspring. Fall and spring calving crossbred beef heifers managed through one of two heifer development programs (low input, LOW or conventionally developed, CON) were evaluated for metrics of uterine artery hemodynamics, patterns of heifer and offspring growth, postpartum reproductive performance, and economic efficiency. There were significant treatment × season (P = 0.0001) and season × day (P = 0.003) interactions on heifer body weight (BW) during gestation. There was a season × day interaction on total blood flow (TBF; P = 0.05) whereby TBF increased as gestation progressed and spring calving heifers displayed increased TBF. When adjusted for BW, an additional main effect of treatment was observed (P = 0.0007) in which LOW heifers had increased TBF compared to CON heifers. There were no significant main effects of treatment or season or interactions thereof on the proportion of females cycling at the start of the breeding season (P > 0.05). Additionally, there were main effects of treatment (P = 0.0095; P = 0.02) and season (P = 0.012; P = 0.007) on calf ADG and weaning weights, respectively whereby calves born to CON females grew faster than calves born to LOW heifers, and SPRING calves gained more rapidly than FALL calves. Partial budgeting demonstrated that LOW bred heifers were $250/hd less expensive to purchase than CON heifers due to lighter BW. Calves born to LOW females yielded $6.38 less per calf compared to CON calves. The discrepancy in reproductive efficiency coupled with the failure of LOW females to achieve BW similar to CON females resulted in a difference of $403/hd in average cull value between LOW and CON females in which CON females were worth more. Thus, CON females were $159.18 more profitable than LOW females when purchased as bred heifers and sold at the weaning of their first calf. In conclusion, though uterine artery BF was not negatively affected, low input heifer development resulted in sub-optimal heifer growth, poor first calf performance, and inadequate reproductive efficiency.

No description available.

Medical radiation is vital in acquiring a patient diagnosis, but some clinicians are concerned with the perceived risks associated with ionizing radiation. This risk is heightened when incorporating in utero exposures due to the risk to the developing foetus. Although other organ systems have been studied, there is a paucity of data on the effects to the respiratory system from in utero exposures. The aim of this thesis was to understand the long-term effects on the respiratory system from in utero exposures, but as a first step, it was important to determine what levels patients receive whilst admitted to hospital. Two polar populations were chosen based on their predicted exposure levels during hospitalisation; one with high levels, intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and one with low levels, pregnant patients. Most patients cumulatively received < 1mSv with median exposures of 0.99 mSv (ICU patients) and 0.02 mSv (pregnant patients). However, both cohorts had patients that surpassed 10 mSv. To assess the effects from in utero exposures on the respiratory system, two animal models were conducted both exposed during late gestation, one healthy model and one acute lung injury model. In the health animal model, cardiovascular outcomes were also measured, however, ionizing radiation (50, 300, 1000 mGy) did not appear to influence these two organ systems from the outcomes measured. In the acute lung injury model, lipopolysaccharide (3mg/Kg) stimulated an acute lung inflammatory response, however, there was also no overt effect of radiation from the outcomes measured (10, 100, 1000 mGy). In both models, ionizing radiation did cause growth restriction up to 16 weeks of age, but this was only observed from doses above 100 mGy. Overall, the levels of ionizing radiation patients receive is low and from diagnostic exposures during pregnancy, there does not appear to be any strong effects on the developing foetus. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Radiation is necessary in medicine to observe the internal structures of the body, but it can sometimes cause unwanted biological changes within the body. This risk is heightened when considering exposure to developing baby because of the dynamic changing it is naturally going through and possible lifetime left to experience effects. This thesis aimed to understand what levels of radiation patients receive in hospital, observing one population predicted to receive high levels (Intensive care patients) and one predicted to receive low levels (pregnant patients). Overall, the majority of patients in the two cohorts received less than the recommended yearly public limit of 1 millisievert (mSv). The second aim was to observe the effects on the growth, lungs and hearts of the babies in an animal model when they are exposed during pregnancy. Radiation had no overall effect on the lungs or heart but can reduce body weight at moderate (100 milligrays (mGy) and high (1000 mGy) exposures.