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Dietary L-arginine supplementation during days 14–25 of gestation enhances aquaporin expression in the placentae and endometria of gestating gilts

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Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that dietary L-arginine (Arg) supplementation to pregnant gilts enhanced the expression of water channel proteins [aquaporins (AQPs)] in their placentae and endometria. Gilts were fed twice daily 1 kg of a corn and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0.0%, 0.4%, or 0.8% Arg between Days 14 and 25 of gestation. On Days 25 and 60 of gestation, gilts were hysterectomized to obtain placentae and endometria. On Day 25 of gestation, supplementation with 0.4% Arg increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of placental AQP9 protein, whereas supplementation with 0.8% Arg increased (P < 0.05) placental AQP1 and AQP9 proteins, compared with controls. On Day 60 of gestation, supplementation with 0.4% Arg increased (P < 0.05) endometrial AQP1 protein, whereas supplementation with 0.8% Arg increased (P < 0.05) endometrial AQP5 and AQP9 proteins. Supplementation with 0.8% Arg increased the endometrial expression of AQP1, AQP5, and AQP9 proteins located in the luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium of endometria, and placental transport of 3H2O. Collectively, these results indicate that dietary Arg supplementation stimulates the expression of selective AQPs in porcine placenta and endometria, thereby enhancing water transport from mother to fetus and expanding the chorioallantoic membranes during the period of placentation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank students and technicians in our laboratories for assistance. The current address of Cui Zhu is School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China. The current address of Xilong Li is Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China. This work was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants (#2015-67015-23276) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research (H-8200).

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Author notes

  1. Cui Zhu and Xilong Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Cui Zhu, Xilong Li, Fuller W. Bazer & Guoyao Wu

  2. Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China

    Zongyong Jiang

  3. Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Gregory A. Johnson & Robert C. Burghardt

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  1. Cui Zhu
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  2. Xilong Li
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Correspondence to Guoyao Wu.

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This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Texas A&M University.

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Zhu, C., Li, X., Bazer, F.W. et al. Dietary L-arginine supplementation during days 14–25 of gestation enhances aquaporin expression in the placentae and endometria of gestating gilts. Amino Acids 53, 1287–1295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-021-03038-z

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