Melatonin supplementation to sows in mid to late gestation affects offspring circadian, myogenic, and growth factor transcript abundance in pre and postnatal skeletal muscle

Dec 16, 2024Journal of animal science

Melatonin given to pregnant sows during mid to late pregnancy changes gene activity related to body clock, muscle development, and growth factors in their offspring's muscles before and after birth

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Abstract

Dietary melatonin supplementation at 20 mg daily during gestation significantly increased fetal body weight and growth measurements.

Melatonin supplementation is associated with increased transcript levels of circadian rhythm genes, specifically Period 1 (PER1) and Period 2 (PER2), in the evening.
Increased myogenic gene expression, including myogenin (MYOG) and myoblast differentiation 1 (MYOD), was observed in fetuses from melatonin-treated sows.
Fetuses from melatonin-treated sows showed greater body weight, crown-rump length, and head circumference compared to those from non-supplemented sows.
Postnatal body weight was greater in medium and large piglets from melatonin-treated sows compared to controls.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) was downregulated, while insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was upregulated in offspring from melatonin-treated sows.

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The neuroendocrine hormone melatonin is associated with circadian rhythms and has antioxidant and vasodilative properties. In cattle, melatonin rescues fetal growth during maternal nutrient restriction in a seasonally dependent manner, but melatonin research in swine is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary melatonin supplementation during mid to late gestation on circadian rhythm and muscle growth and development of the longissimus dorsi in utero and postnatally. Sows received 20 mg of dietary melatonin daily (MEL) or no melatonin supplement (CON). Experiment 1 supplemented sows from gestational age (dGA) 38 ± 1 to 99 ± 1, experiment 2 supplemented sows from 41 to 106 ± 1 dGA, and experiment 3 supplemented sows from 60 dGA to farrowing. At harvest, morphometric measurements of all fetuses were taken, while the small (SM), medium (MED), and large (LG) piglets from each litter were used for further analysis. Prenatal data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, and postnatal data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure. Fetal morphometrics were analyzed for fixed the effect of treatment, and transcript abundance was analyzed for treatment, time, and size. Postnatal parameters were analyzed for fixed effects of treatment, size, and production stage. In experiment 1, MEL increased (P = 0.016) Period 1 (PER1) transcript abundance in the evening (PM) compared to the morning (AM). In experiment 1, myogenin (MYOG) transcript abundance was increased (P = 0.033) in MEL fetuses in the AM compared to MEL in the PM. Myogenic factor 5 (MYF5) and paired box 7 (PAX7) were increased (P = 0.016) in the PM. Fetuses from MEL-treated sows had increased (P < 0.05) BW, curve crown-rump length, and head circumference in experiment 2. In experiment 2, MEL increased (P = 0.012) PER1 and Period 2 (PER2) transcript abundance in the PM. In experiment 2, myoblast differentiation 1 (MYOD) was increased (P = 0.016) in SM and MED fetuses, while MYF5 and PAX7 were increased (P = 0.019) in SM fetuses. Postnatal BW was increased (P = 0.025) in MED and LG MEL-treated offspring compared to CON. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) was downregulated (P = 0.050) in MEL-treated offspring, while insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was upregulated (P = 0.009) in MEL offspring. These results indicate that maternal melatonin supplementation during gestation modulates fetal circadian regulatory genes and alters myogenic genes during growth.

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Melatonin supplementation to sows in mid to late gestation affects offspring circadian, myogenic, and growth factor transcript abundance in pre and postnatal skeletal muscle

Abstract

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