U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Livestock Bio-Systems: Clay Center, NE
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    USMARC Home
                    USMARC Research Units
                        Genetics and Animal Breeding
                                    Meat Safety & Meat Quality
                                    Nutrition, Growth and Physiology
                                    Animal Health GenomicsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area Clay Center, Nebraska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center Livestock Bio-Systems Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications
- IACUC Summaries

Title:   Author  item
                                            BARTOL, FRANK - Auburn Universityitem
                                            WILEY, ANNE - Auburn Universityitem
                                            MILLER, DORI - Auburn Universityitem
                                            SILVA, ALEJANDRO - Auburn Universityitem
                                            ROBERTS, KIMBERLY - Auburn Universityitem
                                            DAVOLT, MEGHAN - Auburn Universityitem
                                            CHEN, JOSEPH - Rutgers Universityitem
                                            FRANKSHUN, AMY-LYNN - Rutgers Universityitem
                                            CAMP, MEREDITH - Rutgers Universityitem
                                            RAHMAN, KATHLEEN - Rutgers Universityitem
                                            Vallet, Jeffitem
                                            BAGNELL, CAROL - Rutgers University
  Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
                                    Publication Type: Review Article
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 9/7/2012
                                    Publication  Date: 2/1/2013
                                    Citation: Bartol, F.F., Wiley, A.A., Miller, D.J., Silva, A.J., Roberts, K.E., Davolt, M.L.P., Chen, J.C., Frankshun, A.-L., Camp, M.E., Rahman, K.M., Vallet, J.L., Bagnell, C.A. 2013. Lactation Biology Symposium: Lactocrine signaling and developmental programming. Journal of Animal Science. 91(2):696-705.Interpretive Summary: Parents pass more than just genes to their offspring. In livestock, mothers also cause permanent changes in the development of offspring during both pregnancy and milk production, and the physiological mechanisms that cause these effects is beginning to be revealed. This paper reviews our current understanding of the effect of factors in milk that alter development in the offspring, which is referred to as lactocrine signaling. This process may allow a way for the mother to continue to influence the development of the offspring in response to environmental changes. Several experiments have shown that the development of the uterus in female offspring is influenced by factors in the first milk produced by the sow, called colostrum. Specifically, lack of colostrum caused delayed uterine gland development. Uterine glands are components of the uterus that have been shown to be required for optimal fertility in pigs. Results also indicated that inadequate acquisition of colostrum is associated with reduced fertility in pigs. Collectively, these results reinforce the importance of sufficient colostrum and milk during the neonatal period on the optimal development of female pigs for improved fertility.
                                Technical Abstract: Lactocrine signaling is defined as transmission of bioactive factors from mother to offspring as a consequence of nursing. Lactocrine transmission of signaling molecules may be an evolutionarily conserved process through which bioactive factors necessary for support of neonatal development are delivered postnatally.  Dependence on maternal resources for development in eutherian mammals extends into neonatal life for at least that period of time when nutrition is obtained solely from first milk (i.e., colostrum).  Data for the pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) provide evidence of lactocrine mediated effects on development of the female reproductive tract and other somatic tissues.  Porcine uterine gland development, an estrogen receptor-alpha (ESR1)-dependent process, begins within 2 d of birth [postnatal day (PND) 0].  A lactocrine-driven, ESR1-mediated process was proposed as a regulatory mechanism governing onset of uterine gland development and endometrial maturation in the neonatal pig.  Gilts maintained in a lactocrine-null state for 2 d from birth by milk-replacer feeding displayed altered patterns of endometrial gene expression and retarded uterine gland development by PND 14.  In lactocrine-null gilts, inhibition of endometrial and cervical ESR1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) expression observed on PND 2 persisted to PND 14, even after gilts were returned to nursing on PND 2.  Collectively, data support a role for lactocrine signaling in regulation of critical neonatal developmental events.  Maternal lactocrine programming of postnatal development may help to insure healthy developmental outcomes. A systems biology approach will be required to define and understand mechanistic dynamics of lactocrine signaling events that may ultimately connect genotype to phenotype and establish the parameters of reproductive potential.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov