Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Effects of Maternal Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation on Placental Gene Expression and Fetal Antioxidant Status, DNA-Methylation and Phenotype.

The use of polyphenols is a promising strategy for preventing or alleviating intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) because polyphenol supplementation increases plasma antioxidant capacity and improves oxidative stress at the feto-placental unit; which are recognized as main issues in IUGR. However, there is a scarcity of experimental data on both realistic benefits and potential hazards of polyphenol supplementation during gestation. Hence, we aimed to use a swine model of IUGR pregnancy to determine possible effects of maternal supplementation with polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol) on placental expression of genes involved in antioxidant homeostasis, vascularization and fetal growth and thus on antioxidant status, DNA-methylation and phenotypic traits (morphology and homeostasis) of the fetus.

Antioxidant homeostasis is disturbed in fetuses with leptin-resistant genotypes: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Leptin resistance is associated with lower reproductive efficiency, with deficiencies in embryo viability and growth leading to low prolificacy and high incidence of intrauterine growth restriction.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the leptin-resistance, evaluating the antioxidant homeostasis of leptin-resistant and lean swine fetuses.

Materials And Methods: The study included 70 plasma samples from fetuses at day 62 of gestation (mid-pregnancy), from breeds with (Iberian breed; n=35) and without leptin resistance (25% Large White x 25% Landrace x 50% Pietrain; n=35).

Polyphenols and IUGR pregnancies: Maternal hydroxytyrosol supplementation improves prenatal and early-postnatal growth and metabolism of the offspring.

Hydroxytyrosol is a polyphenol with antioxidant, metabolism-regulatory, anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory properties. The present study aimed to determine whether supplementing the maternal diet with hydroxytyrosol during pregnancy can improve pre- and early post-natal developmental patterns and metabolic traits of the offspring. Experiment was performed in Iberian sows fed a restricted diet in order to increase the risk of IUGR.

Maternal age modulates the effects of early-pregnancy L-proline supplementation on the birth-weight of piglets.

Previous results obtained in gilts maintained under experimental conditions suggest that amino acid supplementation during pregnancy may be a promising strategy for diminishing the incidence of embryo losses and low birth-weight newborn. The current study evaluated the effects of a short-term supplementation with L-proline, around implantational stages, on litter size and birth-weight of piglets in sows of different parities maintained under commercial farm conditions. There were no significant effects in mature sows with three or more parities, but the supplementation improved the reproductive efficiency of the high-prolific first-parity sows and of all the sows at second-parity.

Intake of high saturated-fat diets disturbs steroidogenesis, lipid metabolism and development of obese-swine conceptuses from early-pregnancy stages.

The current study indicates that life-long intake, from early-life, of an obesogenic diet with high saturated-fat (HSF) content induces dyslipidemia (high plasma concentrations of triglycerides in concurrence with low concentrations of HDL-cholesterol) in obese swine with leptin resistance (Iberian sows). In case of pregnancy, ovarian features (ovulatory efficiency and luteal steroidogenesis) of sows fed with HSF are not affected but embryo features are affected at so early stages like 28 days of pregnancy (first quarter), although embryo viability was still not affected. In this way, offspring from HSF sows showed a higher incidence of alterations in their developmental trajectory, mainly due to a higher incidence of growth retardation, in their steroidogenic activity and in their availability of triglycerides and cholesterol.