Effects Of Folic Acid Supplementation On Gilt Reproductive Performance, Hepatic Gene Expressions And Proteomics In Intrauterine Growth Restriction Piglets

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) significantly influenced the postnatal growth performance of the offspring. To gain insights into the changes of gilts reproductive performance, hepatic gene expression patterns and proteomics in IUGR piglets after maternal folic acid supplementation, RT-PCR and proteomics technology were used in this study.Single factorial experimental design was used in the present study. Thirty-six gilts were randomly allocated into three groups fed three dietary folate level immediately after mating until weaning, basal diet group (folic acid 1.3mg/kg), basal diet+folic acid 10 mg/kg and basal diet+folic acid 30 mg/kg with 12 replicates per group. The blood samples of the gilts were collected at gestation d 46, d 60 and d 70, weanling weight of the piglets at 21-day-old, and reproductive performance of the gilts were recorded. Eight normal body weight (NBW, BW> 1.4kg) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR,0.80.05).3. Proteomic analysis indicated that folic acid supplementation increased the content of heat shock protein 90kD, aconitase 1, succinate dehydrogenase, formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase and abhydrolase, but down-regulated the expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein, exportin cselp, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, trypsin and actin-related protein in the liver of the piglets (P<0.05).The results indicated that maternal high dose folic acid addition increased serum folic acid levels of gilts and newborn piglets, but had no effects on gilts reproductive performance. Maternal folic acid supplementation reduced the negative effects of IUGR on hepatic expression levels of genes involving in one-carbon metabolism and energy metabolism and altered several proteins expression profiles. The changes of the proteins expression profiles may alleviate the negative effects of IUGR on piglet growth performance.