Toki-shakuyaku-san (TSS), an herbal formula based on traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly used in obstetrics. To examine the effects of TSS on the normal mouse fetus and placenta, TSS was administered to normal pregnant mice and their placentas and fetuses were studied. First, the effects of maternal TSS treatment on implantation were investigated. Administration of TSS from gestation day 0.5 (G0.5) to G6.5 showed that litter size was not altered at embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5), but the number of resorbed fetuses was slightly decreased. Then, to investigate effects on fetal and placental growths after implantation, TSS was administered from G5.5. At E14.5, the body weight of fetuses from TSS-treated dams was significantly increased. Gene expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2), one of the most important modulators of fetal growth, was significantly increased in the placentas and fetuses of TSS-treated dams. In addition, the expression of particular placental developmental genes and nutrient transporter genes was significantly increased in TSS-treated placentas. At E18.5, after longer-term administration of TSS, fetal and placental weights were not altered, but the expression of the placental developmental and nutrient transporter genes remained elevated compared with controls. These results suggest that maternal TSS treatment in normal mice enhances the expression of Igf2, placental developmental genes and nutrient transporter genes, resulting in increased fetal weight. No obvious changes were observed in the expression of these genes after longer-term maternal TSS treatment.
Phytase (PHY) improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility and bone structure in pigs; however, little is known about its effects on intestinal nutrient transporter gene expression. In the present study, a 44 d experiment was carried out using forty-eight pigs (11·76 (sem0·75) kg) assigned to one of three dietary treatment groups to measure growth performance, coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID), coefficient of apparent total tract nutrient digestibility (CATTD) and intestinal nutrient transporter gene expression. Dietary treatments during the experimental period were as follows: (1) a high-P (HP) diet containing 3·4 g/kg available P and 7·0 g/kg Ca; (2) a low-P (LP) diet containing 1·9 g/kg available P and 5·9 g/kg Ca; (3) a PHY diet containing LP diet ingredients+1000 phytase units (FTU)/kg of PHY. The PHY diet increased the average daily gain (P< 0·05) and final body weight (P< 0·01) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (P< 0·05) compared with the LP diet. Pigs fed the PHY diet had a higher CAID of gross energy compared with those fed the HP and LP diets (P< 0·001). Pigs fed the PHY diet had increased CAID of P (P< 0·01) and CATTD of Ca and P (P< 0·001) compared with those fed the LP diet. The PHY diet increased the gene expression of the peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1/SLC15A1) (P< 0·05) in the ileum compared with the LP diet. The LP diet decreased the gene expression of the sodium–glucose-linked transporter 1 (SGLT1/SLC5A1) andGLUT2/SLC2A2(P< 0·05) and increased the expression of membrane Ca channel (TRPV6) and calbindin compared with the HP diet (P< 0·001). In conclusion, feeding a diet supplemented with PHY improves growth performance and nutrient digestibility as well as increases the gene expression of the peptide transporterPEPT1.
Pregnant hay-fed beef cows confined in an insulated, forced-air ventilated barn (In) and those in an open yard with access to a log barn (In–Out), gained weight from autumn to late winter (273 and 257 g/day for In and In–Out, respectively), compared with those out-of-doors with only a windbreak shelter (Out), which lost weight (−31 g/day) (P < 0.05), when all groups were adjusted by co-variance to the mean digestible energy (DE) intake for hay-fed cows. For grass silage-fed cows, the In groups gained 196 g/day, more (P < 0.05) than the In–Out (132 g/day), and In, and In–Out groups gained more (P < 0.05) than Out cows (−185 g/day) when all groups were adjusted to the mean DE intake for silage-fed groups. Estimated daily DE intake required for maternal maintenance and fetal growth for the period covered by this experiment (beginning 238–243 days, ending 59–75 days before parturition) was 3.10, 3.12, and 4.32 Mcal/100 kg initial weight (IW) for hay-fed cows In, In–Out, and Out, respectively, and 2.84, 3.00, and 3.91 Mcal/100 kg IW for silage-fed cows In, In–Out, and Out, respectively.
Blood glucose, amino acid profiles and nutrient transporter gene expressions in the small intestine of low and normal birthweight piglets during the early suckling period