Effects of Breed, Parity, and Folic Acid Supplement on the Expression of Leptin and Its Receptors' Genes in Embryonic and Endometrial Tissues from Pigs at Day 25 of Gestation

• Published in: Biology of reproduction Vol. 65; no. 3; pp. 921 - 927
• Main Authors: GUAY, Frédéric, PALIN, Marie-France, MATTE, J. Jacques, LAFOREST, Jean-Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Society for the Study of Reproduction 01.09.2001
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - chemistry; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Diet; Embryo, Mammalian - chemistry; Embryo, Mammalian - metabolism; Endometrium - chemistry; Endometrium - metabolism; Female; Folic Acid - administration & dosage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression - drug effects; Gestational Age; Glycine - administration & dosage; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Leptin - genetics; Leptin - metabolism; Litter Size; Mammalian female genital system; Parity; Pregnancy; Receptors, Cell Surface; Receptors, Leptin; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Species Specificity; Swine - embryology; Swine - genetics; Vertebrates: reproduction; Embryo; Molecular form; Peptide hormone; Supplemented diet; Gene expression; Folic acid; Pig; Micronutrient; Vertebrata; Litter size; Mammalia; Uterus; Leptin; Female genital system; Artiodactyla; Parity; Ungulata; Endometrium; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0006-3363; 1529-7268
• DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod65.3.921

Recent evidence has pointed toward a possible role of leptin ( Lep ) and its receptor ( Lepr ) in early gestation materno-fetal cross-talk. However, in gestating sows, exhaustive characterization of leptin mRNA expression in backfat and leptin-receptor mRNA expression in endometrial and embryonic tissues is still pending. The objectives of this study were to characterize the Lep, Lepr, and long Lepr-L isoform mRNA expression according to the breed and parity of gestating sows or to specific folic acid (B 9 ) + glycine dietary treatments. To this end, nulliparous (GT) and multiparous occidental Yorkshire-Landrace (YL) sows as well as multiparous Chinese Meishan-Landrace (ML) sows were used. These sows were randomly assigned to two different dietary treatments: 0 or 15 ppm of B 9 + 0.6% glycine, given from the estrous preceding mating until slaughter on Day 25 of gestation. Jugular blood samples were collected at mating and on Day 25 of gestation and assayed for circulating leptin concentrations. Expression levels of Lep in backfat and of Lepr and Lepr-L in endometrial and embryonic tissues were performed using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results demonstrated that on Day 25 of pregnancy, the ML sows showed higher concentrations of circulating leptin along with higher backfat thickness and higher expression of Lep in backfat tissue. Moreover, in embryonic tissues, the mRNA expression levels of Lepr and Lepr-L genes were higher in ML than in YL sows. Parity effects were observed for mRNA expression of Lepr in both endometrial and embryonic tissues, whereas mRNA levels were higher in YL than in GT sows. In addition, embryonic Lepr-L mRNA levels were higher in GT than in YL sows, and B 9 + glycine dietary supplement decreased the mRNA expression levels of Lep in backfat and of Lepr in embryonic tissues. These decreases were independent of breed or parity of the sows. The effect of B 9 + glycine on Lepr-L mRNA expression levels was only seen in YL sows, whereas the treatment lowered Lepr-L expression levels in both endometrial and embryonic tissues. These results indicate that leptin and its receptor may play a role during early stages of development of the pig embryo-fetus, and that these roles could be modulated according to the breed and parity of the sows. Moreover, the effects of B 9 + glycine on expression levels of embryonic and endometrial Lepr-L mRNA in YL sows may explain the previously reported effects of B 9 on embryo survival rate and litter size observed in occidental multiparous sows.