Abstract
The presented experiment focuses on assessing the impact of HMB (hydroxy-β-methobutyrate) supplementation of mothers during pregnancy on the development of the skeletal system of their offspring. For this purpose, an experiment was carried out on 12 clinically healthy sows of the Great White Poland breed, which were divided randomly into two groups the control and the HMB group. All animals were kept under standard conditions and received the same feed for pregnant females. In contrast, females from the HMB group between 70 and 90 days were supplemented with 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyle in the amount of 0.2g/kg b.w/day. Immediately after birth, the piglets were also divided into groups based on: sex, and presence or lack HMB supplementation, and subsequently were euthanized and humerus bones from all piglets were collected. Mother's HMB supplementation during pregnancy affected the multiple index of their offspring. The higher humerus mass and length was observed with the greater effect in males. Maternal supplementation also influenced on the geometrical and mechanical properties of the humerus as in the case of mass, this effect was higher in males. Also, the collagen structure of the compacted and trabecular bone changed under the HMB addition. Maternal supplementation also affected the expression of selected proteins in growth cartilage and trabecular bone. The obtained results show that the administration to the mother during pregnancy by the HMB significantly affects the development of the humerus in many ways. The obtained results also confirm the utility of such experiments in understanding of the importance of the pregnancy diet as an develop and adaptable factor of offspring organisms and are the base for further research in that area as well as in the protein markers expression area.
Highlights
The growth and ossification of individual skeletal elements during prenatal development is different
Studies in animal models showed that the humerus growth and ossification begins much faster than the other long bones, which means that it reaches its length faster [1]
Studies in animal models show that undernutrition of the mother during pregnancy significantly affects the skeletal system of her offspring
Summary
The growth and ossification of individual skeletal elements during prenatal development is different. Studies in animal models showed that the humerus growth and ossification begins much faster than the other long bones, which means that it reaches its length faster [1]. Studies in animal models (including pigs whose genome is much more similar to the human genome compared to other animal models) show that undernutrition of the mother during pregnancy significantly affects the skeletal system of her offspring. The effect of maternal nutrition during pregnancy on fetal development has been confirmed in human studies [2]. The pigs compared to other animal models (mice, rats) are characterized by a very similar size and physiology of internal organs to humans, it is a very good model in preclinical studies and in nutritional experiments [3]
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