Effect Of Intrauterine Growth Restriction During Late Pregnancy On Liver Growth And Physiological Functions In Mongolia Ovine Fetus

This experiment mainly investigated the effects of intrauterine growth restriction on liver growth and physiological function during late pregnancy in Mongolia ovine fetus. Chose 24 Mongolian ewes,which already had been born 2-3 foetuses, iropregante the ewes at the same time with the techniques of synchronous estrus. At 90d of gestation, choes six experimental ewes were slaughtered, and the rest were randomly assigned to three groups, n=6 and take different energy feeding levels:CG group (Free); RG2 group (0.33MJMEkgw-0.75-d-1); RG1 group (0.175 MJME·kgw-0.75·d-1), followed by lower energy levels, to pregnancy 140d for all experimental groups when ewes were slaughtered.Experimental results show that under the experimental conditions:(1) IURG effects on development of fetal liver: fetal liver weight, liver growth rate, decreased significantly; DNA concentration, protein concentration, the total DNA content and protein/ DNA in fetal liver in RG1 group were significantly reduced than the CG group (P＜0.01); the numbers of fetal liver cells, liver cells in diameter, the numbers of Kupffer cells were reduced in RG1 group, the numbers of endothelial cells increased; the constituents of fetal liver in restricted feeding group were significantly lower than the CG group.(2) IURG effects on fetal liver metabolic function: in fetal liver tissue the contents (P<0.01) of TC, TQ GLU, LD and PA (P<0.05) and the activity (P<0.05) of LPL, HL in RG1 group were significantly lower than the CG group; in fetal blood in RG1 group the contents (P>0.05) of GLU had the trend to increase, the contents of LD, BHBA (P＜0.01) and NEFA,TC,PA,(P<0.05) were significantly higher than the CG group,but the contents of TG (P<0.05) were significantly lower than the CG group; and the contents of TP, ALB, GLB concentration had the trend to decreased, but no significant difference (P>0.05).(3) IURG effects on immune function of fetal liver: in fetal liver tissue the content (P<0.01) of C3 was significantly higher than CG group, the content (P>0.05)of C4 had the trend to increased gradually.(4) IURG effects on hematopoietic function of fetal liver:the concentration of EPO in fetal liver and RBC, HCT, HGB in fetal blood in group RG1 were significantly lower than CG group (P<0.01), PLT、WBC had the trend to decreased (P>0.05).(5) IURG effects on acute phase protein content in fetal liver: in fetal liver the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-y, TNF-a and HPT,CRP,CP in RG1 group were significantly lower than the CG group (P＜0.05), and the concentration of IL-4, SAA content lower than the CG group; in fetal blood in RG1 group the concentrations of SAA (P<0.05), CRP (P>0.05), CP (P＜0.01) were higher than CG group, and HPT concentrations below the CG group(P<0.05).