Interaction of pre and postnatal nutrition on expression of leptin receptor variants and transporter molecules, leptin transport, and functional response to leptin in heifers †

Biol Reprod. 2023 Sep 12:ioad118. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioad118. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPerinatal nutrition modulates the hypothalamic neurocircuitries controlling GnRH release, thus programming pubertal maturation in female mammals. Objectives of experiments reported here were to test the hypotheses that prenatal nutrition during mid- to late gestation interacts with postnatal nutrition during the juvenile period in heifer offspring to alter expression of leptin receptor (LepR) variants (ObRa, ObRb, ObRc, ObRt), and lipoprotein transporter molecules (LRP1 and 2) in the choroid plexus, leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier, and hypothalamic-hypophyseal responsiveness to exogenous ovine leptin (oleptin) during fasting. Nutritional programming of heifers employed a 3 x 2 factorial design of maternal (High, H; Low, L; and Moderate, M) x postnatal (H and L) dietary treatments. Results (Expt. 1) demonstrated that prepubertal heifers born to L dams, regardless of postnatal diet, had reduced expression of the short isoform of ObRc compared to H and M dams, with sporadic effects of undernutrition (L or LL) on ObRb, ObRt, and LRP1. Intravenous administration of oleptin to a selected postpubertal group (HH, MH, LL) of ovariectomized, estradiol implanted heifers fasted for 56 hours (Expt. 2) did not create detectable increases in third ventricle CSF but increased gonadotropin secretion in all nutritional groups tested. Previous work has shown that leptin enhances gonadotr...
Source: Reproductive Biology - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Source Type: research