Fetal weight gain is mainly due to protein and lipids deposits. Thus, fetal development can be regulated by fatty acid and amino acid metabolism of mother and fetus.

In mammals, nucleotides play an important role in the regulation of cellular energy and protein homeostasis, which facilitate the repair, recovery, and repletion of tissue function.

Uridine monophosphate (UMP) is the major nucleotide analogue found in mammal’s milk. Uridine (UR) is used to metabolize UMP, and it can also be metabolized to form other biologically active molecules, such as UDP-glucose which is important in the UDP-dependent glycosylation of proteins and lipids.

Researchers from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that maternal supplementation with nucleotides in the form of UR affected fatty acids and amino acids constituents of piglets and decreased the birth mortality in a sow-piglet model.

A total of 52 pregnant sows with similar parity were assigned randomly and equally into the control group fed with a basal diet or the UR group fed with a basal diet with 150g/t UR.

Results showed that maternal dietary UR supplementation regulated the amino acid profile of serum and liver of neonatal piglets, and the birth mortality of piglets in the UR group was significantly decreased.

Furthermore, an up-regulation of mRNA expression of energy metabolism-related genes, including ELOVL5, FADS1, HSL and CYP7a1, was observed in the liver of neonates from the UR group.

Additionally, higher protein expression of P-AKT, raptor, PPARα and PPARγ in placenta from UR group was also observed.

The results indicated that maternal UR supplementation could regulate placental fatty acids and amino acids transport by regulating mTORC1-PPARs pathway, influencing the fatty acids and amino acids constituents of neonatal piglets.

The study, published in British Journal of Nutrition, was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and Science and Technology Projects of Hunan Province.

Contact: WU Xin

E-mail: wuxin@isa.ac.cn

Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences