Effect of long-term selection for early postnatal growth rate on survival and prenatal development of transferred mouse embryos

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 205-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA Ernst ◽  
BK Rhees ◽  
CH Miao ◽  
WR Atchley
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Prenatal Development ◽  
Control Line ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Uterine Environment ◽  
Transfer Procedures

Reciprocal embryo transfer procedures were performed among mouse selection lines to examine prenatal maternal effects on survival and development of transferred embryos. Mice were from generations 28 and 29 of an experiment to select for (i) increased body weight again from 0 to 10 days (E+); (ii) decreased body weight gain from 0 to 10 days (E-); or (iii) a randomly bred control line (C). A total of 118 embryo transfer procedures performed 12 h after conception resulted in 983 progeny born to 89 litters. There was a 39% overall embryo survival rate and 75% overall pregnancy success rate. Response to superovulation and oestrous synchronization was significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the E+ line. E+ individuals that did superovulate produced an average of 37 oocytes per flush, which was significantly higher than in the control line mice (29 oocytes per flush; P < 0.01). The ability to complete pregnancy successfully was not influenced by uterine environment or embryo-uterine interaction. In contrast, embryo survival in successful pregnancies was significantly affected by uterine environment. There were large maternal effects for body weight and tail length at birth; E+ recipients produced pups that were significantly larger than E- recipient pups (P < 0.01), which in turn were significantly larger than pups gestated by control recipients (P < 0.01).

scholarly journals Genetic variation in body weight gain and composition in the intercross of Large (LG/J) and Small (SM/J) inbred strains of mice

1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa G. Kramer ◽  
Ty T. Vaughn ◽  
L. Susan Pletscher ◽  
Kelly King-Ellison ◽  
Emily Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Inbred Mouse ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Mouse Strains ◽  
Inbred Mouse Strains ◽  
Fat Pad ◽  
Correlation Pattern

Strain intercross experiments provide a powerful means for mapping genes affecting complex quantitative traits. We report on the genetic variability of the intercross of the Large (LG/J) and Small (SM/J) inbred mouse strains as a guide to gene mapping studies. Ten SM/J males were crossed to 10 LG/J females, after which animals were randomly mated to produce F1, F2, and F3 intercross generations. The 1632 F3 animals from 200 full-sib families were used to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations of the traits measured. A subset of families was cross-fostered at birth to allow measurement of the importance of post-natal maternal effects. Data was collected on weekly body weight from one to 10 weeks and on organ weights, body weight, reproductive fat pad weight, and tail length at necropsy in the intercross generations. There was no heterosis for age-specific weights or necropsy traits, except that one-week weight was the highest in the F2 generation, indicating heterosis for maternal effect in the F1 mothers. We found moderate to high heritability for most age-specific weights and necropsy traits. Maternal effects were significant for age-specific weights from one to four weeks but disappeared completely at ten-week weight. Maternal effects for necropsy traits were low and not statistically significant. Age-specific weights showed a typical correlation pattern, with correlation declining as the difference in ages increased. Among necropsy traits, reproductive fat pad and body weights were very highly genetically correlated. Most other genetic correlations were low to moderate. The intercross between SM/J and LG/J inbred mouse strains provides a valuable resource for mapping quantitative trait loci for body size, composition, and morphology

100 EMBRYO SURVIVAL AND CONCEPTUS ELONGATION FOLLOWING ASYNCHRONOUS EMBRYO TRANSFER IN CATTLE

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
F. Randi ◽  
B. Fernandez ◽  
M. McDonald ◽  
C. Johnson ◽  
N. Forde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Prostaglandin F2α ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Length Data ◽  
Uterine Environment ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Intravaginal Device

Maternal progesterone (P4) regulates early conceptus growth and development in ruminants. Early embryo transfer studies in sheep and cattle demonstrated a need for close synchrony between the embryo and the uterine environment of the recipient. However, manipulating P4 may be one way of strategically regulating the temporal changes that normally occur in the uterine environment in order to allow flexibility in the timing of embryo transfer. For example, previous studies have demonstrated that P4 administration during the first few days of the oestrous cycle facilitates pregnancy establishment with older embryos. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of embryo-uterine synchrony on conceptus elongation in cattle. Oestrous cycles of crossbred beef heifers were synchronised using an 8-day P4-Releasing Intravaginal Device (PRID Delta®, CEVA, Mountain View, CA, USA) with administration of a prostaglandin F2α analogue (Enzaprost®, CEVA; 5 mL equivalent to 25 mg of dinoprost) given on the day before PRID removal. Heifers were checked for signs of oestrus 4 times per day commencing 30 h after PRID withdrawal. Only those seen in standing oestrus (n = 50) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatment groups to receive Day 7 in vitro-produced blastocysts (n = 10 per recipient) (1) on Day 5 post-oestrus; (2) on Day 5, with P4 supplementation via PRID from Day 3 to 5 + 750 IU of eCG at PRID insertion; (3) on Day 5, PRID Delta from Day 3 to 5 plus 3000 IU of hCG at PRID insertion; (4) on Day 7, or (5) on Day 9. At embryo age Day 14, all heifers were slaughtered and the uterus was flushed to recover and measure conceptuses. Data are summarised in Table 1. Fewer recipients yielded conceptuses (P < 0.05) and fewer conceptuses overall were recovered (P < 0.05) following transfer on Day 5 compared with Day 7 or Day 9. Supplementation with P4 resulted in short cycles (evidenced by corpus luteum regression and/or a recent ovulation at slaughter) in 33.3 to 54.5% of recipients receiving embryos on Day 5. Mean conceptus length was greater (P < 0.05) following transfer to an advanced uterus. In conclusion, transfer of embryos to a retarded (Day 5) uterine environment results in poor embryo survival. Supplementation with P4 shortened the interoestrous period in a significant number of heifers. Transfer to an advanced uterine environment promotes conceptus elongation, presumably driven by P4. Table 1.Embryo survival and conceptus length data

Mandibular Growth Retardation in Growing Rats Chronically Exposed to Hypobaria

1987 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.E. Bozzini ◽  
R.M. Alippi ◽  
A.C. Barcelo
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Growth Retardation ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Close Relation ◽  
Exposure Period ◽  
Mandibular Growth

Weanling male Wistar rats aged 21 days were divided into three groups: initial control, normobaric, and hypobaric (C, N, and H, respectively). C rats were killed three days after being weaned. H rats were placed into an altitude chamber and maintained at 456 mb (6100 m) for 14 days. N rats were maintained at sea-level conditions. Body weight, body and tail lengths, and food intake were recorded every day. Animals were killed at the end of the experimental period, and four linear dimensions of the dried mandible were measured. The amount of food eaten by the H rats during the entire exposure period was 54.6% of that consumed by N ones. Body weight gain in H rats was 32.7% of that seen in N rats. Body length was 49.0% and tail length was 56.6% of normal. All mandibular dimensions were significantly reduced in H rats when compared with N rats and were, in general, in close relation with the reduction observed in skeletal growth. Only one dimension was reduced out of proportion, which indicates some deformation of the mandible. The average daily caloric intake related to metabolic body weight (body weight0.75) of H rats was 60% of the N value. Efficiency of protein utilization for growth was not significantly different between both groups of rats. These results indicate that chronic exposure to hypobaria induces overall skeletal and mandibular growth retardation, which appears to be the result of a diminution in food intake because of decreased appetite.

scholarly journals Effect of disruptive selection for body conformation on age variations of femoral morphometrie traits, in mice

1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-210
Author(s):  
L. Hinrichsen ◽  
D. Mana ◽  
R. Di Masso ◽  
M. T. Font
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Disruptive Selection ◽  
Phenotypic Correlation ◽  
Control Line ◽  
Genetic Determination ◽  
Body Conformation ◽  
Age Variations ◽  
Selection For

Abstract. The effect of disruptive selection for body conformation on body weight and length, tail length, and femur weight and length at different stages of development (21, 42, 63, and 120 days of age) was analysed in four mouse lines of the CBi stock selected for (CBi+, CBi-) and against (CBi/L, CBi/C) the phenotypic correlation between body weight and tail length, and die unselected control line CBi. As expected, body weight and tail length distributed according to the selection criteria; rrunk length (whole body length minus tail length) behaved as body welght at all ages. CBi/L had the highest femoral length (p < 0.01), and CBi/C attained the highest femoral weight (p < 0.01). CBi+ and CBi-, harmonically large or small, differed between them and from the control line in both variables (p < 0.001). These findings further corroborate the proposal that bone mass is markedly affected by the skeleton function as support of soft tissues. The allometric analysis ofthe regression of femur weight on femur length suggests that, in this model, a) the demand posed by the selective pressure forced each genotype to find a unique Solution, b) this response is sex-dependent, and c) genetic determination ofthe parameters involved in this allometric relationship is, at least, partially independent.

scholarly journals Effects of pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) on fat deposition in human GH transgenic rats

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasufumi Furuhata ◽  
Masugi Nishihara ◽  
Michio Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Weight Ratio ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Transgenic Rats ◽  
Gh Treatment ◽  
Secretory Pattern

AbstractGrowth hormone (GH) is an endocrine regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism as well as body growth. GH levels are decreased and a unique pulsatile secretory pattern becomes obvious after puberty particularly in males. Coincidentally with this, males tend to deposit body fat. Experimental and clinical evidence has accumulated that obesity is associated with a decrease in GH levels. A strain of transgenic rats has been generated with severe obesity but normal nose-to-tail length, which has low circulating GH levels without pulsatility (human growth hormone (hGH) transgenic rats). The present review mainly focuses on recent and current work analysing the relationship between the occurrence of obesity and low GH levels and/or the absence of GH pulsatility in this transgenic animal model. This model has elevated blood glucose, non-esterified fatty acid, insulin and leptin levels associated with hyperphagia, suggesting that these rats also carry insulin- and leptin-resistant characteristics. hGH transgenic rats were subjected to a pair-feeding treatment to normalize food intake and chronic GH replacement to normalize GH levels. While the pair-feeding for 8 weeks successfully suppressed body-weight gain, the fat pad : body weight ratio remained very similar to freely-eating control hGH transgenic rats, which indicates the hyperphagia is not the sole contributor to the excess fat accumulation in this model. However, continuous elevation of peripheral hGH levels (approximately 2-fold) for 8 weeks by means of a slow-release vehicle resulted in a significant decrease in the fat mass : body weight ratios by 30 %. This GH treatment altered neither food intake nor body-weight gain. Thus, two characteristic phenotypes observed in the hGH transgenic rats, hyperphagia and obesity, seem to be closely related to GH levels and GH secretory pattern. This relationship might be working in the regulation of changes in seasonal body composition in wild animals.

Melatonin Treatment of Donor and Recipient Ewes in an Embryo Transfer Programme: Effects on Ovulation Rate and Embryo Survival During Normal Seasonal Anoestrus

1994 ◽  
Vol 1994 ◽  
pp. 78-78
Author(s):  
J.J. Robinson ◽  
T.G. McEvoy ◽  
R.P. Aitken ◽  
I. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Intrauterine Insemination ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Ovulation Rate ◽  
Fertilization Failure ◽  
Melatonin Treatment ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Seasonal Differences ◽  
Uterine Environment ◽  
Expected Values

Conception rates and litter sizes in ewes are often higher during the peak of the breeding season than at the beginning or end. How much of this is due to seasonal differences in ovulation rate (Montgomery et al 1988) and ram fertility (Colas, 1983) is uncertain. Using laparoscopic intrauterine insemination which virtually eliminates fertilization failure, Aitken et al (1990) obtained estimates of embryo survival for Greyface ewes induced to ovulate in mid-June (mid anoestrus) that were 25, 19 and 13% below the expected values for 2, 3 and 4 ovulations respectively. While this implies that embryos transferred to recipient ewes at an induced oestrus during seasonal anoestrus may have sub-optimal survival rates, it does not identify whether the cause lies solely with the embryo or with the uterine environment or with both. The present study employs reciprocal embryo transfer in conjunction with melatonin treatment to identify the influence of seasonality on the inherent viability of the embryos and the ability of the uterine environment to sustain pregnancy.

scholarly journals Uterine and Postnatal Maternal Effects in Mice Selected for Differential Rate of Early Development

Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 153 (2) ◽  
pp. 905-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K Rhees ◽  
Cynthia A Ernst ◽  
Christina H Miao ◽  
William R Atchley
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Development ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Postnatal Growth ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Control Line ◽  
Differential Rate ◽  
Early Postnatal Development ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Selection For

Abstract A series of mouse lines was produced by long-term restricted index selection for divergent rate of growth during early and late postnatal development. The selection program was based on the following treatments: E+ and E- lines were selected to alter birth to 10-day weight gain while holding late gain for both lines constant and a control line was established via random selection. Using embryo transfer and crossfostering methodology, we partitioned postnatal growth for E+, E-, and C lines into progeny genetic, uterine maternal, and nurse maternal components. Selection for differential early growth resulted in correlated response in uterine and nurse maternal effects on body weights, with significant genetic-by-environment interactions. Significant uterine effects were also observed in tail length measurements. Direct uterine effects on body weight were relatively small and resulted in growth rate differences early in development. Nurse effects were large, resulting in modification of progeny growth trajectory especially during early postnatal development. Genetic-by-uterine interactions were large and demonstrate progeny-specific effects of the prenatal uterine environment.

scholarly journals C57BL/6J and B6129F1 Embryo Transfer: Unilateral and Bilateral Transfer, Embryo Number and Recipient Female Background Control for the Optimization of Embryo Survival and Litter Size

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1424
Author(s):  
Sofia Lamas ◽  
Filipa Franquinho ◽  
Marlene Morgado ◽  
João R. Mesquita ◽  
Fátima Gärtner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Invasive Technique ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Common Procedure ◽  
Genetically Engineered Mice ◽  
Lower Success Rate ◽  
Uterine Environment ◽  
Embryo Number

Embryo transfer (ET) is a common procedure in rodent facilities. Optimizing this technique may help to reduce the number of animals, but little information is available regarding wild type strains and the conditions that affect embryo transfer. To explore this theme, 2-cell C57BL/6J embryos were transferred after overnight culture of freshly collected zygotes using different conditions: unilateral transfers using a total of 6, 8, 12, 15, 20 and 25 embryos were performed initially; then, this strain was also used for bilateral transfers using a total of 6, 12 and 20 embryos equally divided by the two oviducts. Groups of 25 embryos were not tested for the bilateral technique, since this condition produced the lower success rate when using the unilateral technique and 20 embryos would still represent a large number of embryos. A group of 2-cell B6129F1 embryos was also transferred using unilateral and bilateral ET with 6, 12 and 20 embryos. Crl:CD1(ICR) were used as recipient females for non-reciprocal transfers and C57BL/6J were used to test reciprocal transfers (only tested for six C57BL/6J unilateral transfers). Unilateral transfers using C57BL/6J mice produced higher success rates using six embryos, compared to the other groups transferred unilaterally (p-values between 0.0001 and 0.0267), but the mean number of pups per litter was not different among groups. Bilateral transfer produced higher number of pups when 20 embryos were divided by the two oviducts compared to six (p = 0.0012) or 12 (p = 0.0148) embryos, but with no differences in success rates. No statistical differences were found between the groups of B6129F1, but better results were obtained on bilateral transfers using a total of six embryos. For the strain tested (C57BL/6J), the uterine environment (Crl:CD1(ICR) or C57BL/6J recipient) does not impact the outcome of the technique. These results complement previous work published using genetically engineered mice strains and show that unilateral transfers using low number of embryos (6), produce better outcomes when compared to bilateral or unilateral transfers using more embryos. It also highlights differences between the outcome of bilateral transfers in the two strains tested. A set of historical data of genetically engineered mice at a C57BL/6J background was also included, confirming that lower embryo numbers are related to higher success rates. Together, the outcome of these experiments can be important to reduce the number of recipient and donor females, optimize embryo transfers and improve animal welfare discouraging the use of a more invasive technique.

CARCASS COMPOSITION OF MICE AFTER LONG-TERM SELECTION FOR LARGE SIX-WEEK BODY WEIGHT OR LONG SIX-WEEK TAIL LENGTH

1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. I. McKAY ◽  
A. D. GRAHAM ◽  
R. J. PARKER
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Fat Deposition ◽  
Carcass Composition ◽  
Control Line ◽  
Selected Lines ◽  
Term Selection ◽  
Selection For

Carcass analysis of mice selected for large 6-wk body weight (BW6) or long 6-wk tail length (TL6) is reported. There was no evidence of excessive fat deposition in the selected lines when compared to a randomly bred control line. Key words: Mice, carcass composition, selection, fat

Intravenous growth hormone: growth responses to patterned infusions in hypophysectomized rats

1985 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Clark ◽  
J.-O. Jansson ◽  
O. Isaksson ◽  
I. C. A. F. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Bone Growth ◽  
Body Weight Gain ◽  
Day Treatment ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Pulse Frequency ◽  
Long Bone ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Hypophysectomized Rats

ABSTRACT Young hypophysectomized rats were maintained with chronic indwelling i.v. cannulae attached via swivels to a multichannel pumping system programmed to deliver GH in a continuous or pulsatile pattern for several days. Continuous i.v. infusions of human GH for 5 days produced dose-dependent increases in body weight and tail length, without increasing food intake. A comparison of GH infusions by the s.c. or i.v. route showed that the direct i.v. route was threefold more effective. Pulsatile i.v. infusions of human or bovine GH at two doses (12 or 36 mu./day, eight pulses/day, 5-min duration, every 3 h) produced greater increases in body weight than continuous i.v. infusions of GH at the same daily dose. Continuous infusions of bovine GH produced a lower growth rate in the second of two consecutive 5-day treatment periods, whereas the responses to pulsatile GH did not diminish with time. Both body weight gain and long-bone growth were affected by the frequency of GH pulses; nine pulses per day were more effective than three pulses per day which in turn produced larger growth responses than one pulse per day. Keeping GH pulse frequency constant and varying pulse duration (4, 16 or 64 min) did not affect growth rates. In conclusion, long-term pulsatile i.v. infusions of GH mimic the endogenous secretory pattern, and are most effective when given at the physiologically appropriate pulse frequency. J. Endocr. (1985) 104, 53–61

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