The effects of undernutrition, in utero, on reproductive function in adult male and female sheep

Rae, M.T; Kyle, C.E; Miller, D.W; Hammond, A.J; Brooks, A.N; Rhind, S.M

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of maternal undernutrition during pregnancy on adult reproductive function in male and female offspring. Groups of ewes were fed rations providing either 100% (High, H) or 50% (Low, L) of estimated metabolisable energy (ME) requirements for pregnancy, from mating until day 95 of gestation, and thereafter were conventionally managed. At 20 months of age, {LH} and {FSH} profiles, and {LH} responses to exogenous GnRH were measured in male and female offspring and, in males, testicular responses to exogenous {LH} (as measured by testosterone concentrations) were also measured. Undernutrition had no effect on the mean birth weights of lambs of either sex, or on testicular size in male animals at either 6 weeks or 20 months of age. L males exhibited significantly higher {FSH} concentrations than H males (P

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2002
• Online Publication Date: May 2, 2002
• Publication Date: Jul 15, 2002
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2016
• Journal: Animal Reproduction Science
• Print ISSN: 0378-4320
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 72
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 63-71
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320%2802%2900068-4
• Keywords: Nutrition; Pregnancy; Ovulation rate; Semen quality
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/317972
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378432002000684