Journal of Animal Science, Vol 69, Issue 5 1945-1953, Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Maternal and fetal influences on uterine and conceptus development in the cow: I. Growth of tissues of the gravid uterus

C. L. Ferrell
USDA, ARS, Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE 68933.

Objectives of this study were to evaluate maternal and fetal influences on development of gravid uterine tissues of cows. Brahman cows with Brahman or Charolais fetuses and Charolais cows with Brahman or Charolais fetuses were used. Cows were killed 232 +/- .5 or 271 +/- .7 d after mating. The gravid uterus of each cow was weighed and dissected into its component parts. Weights of the fetus, fetal membranes, cotyledons, caruncles, and uterus were recorded as were weights of the fetal liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, lungs, stomach complex, intestines, and semitendinosus muscle. Ribonucleic acid, DNA, and protein concentrations in caruncles, cotyledons, liver, heart, kidney, and semitendinosus muscle were determined. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance; breed of cow (C), breed of fetus (F), day of gestation (D), and all interactions were included in the model as fixed effects. Fetal weights were influenced (P less than .003) by C, F, D, and C x D and tended (P = .07) to be influenced by C X F X D. Weight, RNA, DNA, and protein contents of selected fetal tissues followed similar patterns of significance. Thus, both maternal and fetal genotype influenced fetal growth. Greater influences of the maternal system and interrelationships between maternal and fetal systems were observed at the latter stage of gestation. Placentomal (caruncle + cotyledon) weights were greater for Charolais than for Brahman cows (P less than .02) or fetuses (P less than .001) and were greater (P less than .01) at 271 than at 232 d. Caruncular weights followed similar patterns; however, fetal genotype was the only significant source of variation in cotyledonary weight, RNA, DNA, or protein content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Wu, F. W. Bazer, J. M. Wallace, and T. E. Spencer BOARD-INVITED REVIEW: Intrauterine growth retardation: Implications for the animal sciences J Anim Sci, September 1, 2006; 84(9): 2316 - 2337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Constant, M. Guillomot, Y. Heyman, X. Vignon, P. Laigre, J.L. Servely, J.P. Renard, and P. Chavatte-Palmer Large Offspring or Large Placenta Syndrome? Morphometric Analysis of Late Gestation Bovine Placentomes from Somatic Nuclear Transfer Pregnancies Complicated by Hydrallantois Biol Reprod, July 1, 2006; 75(1): 122 - 130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Fowden, J. W. Ward, F. P. B. Wooding, A. J. Forhead, and M. Constancia Programming placental nutrient transport capacity J. Physiol., April 1, 2006; 572(1): 5 - 15. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. P. Reynolds, P. P. Borowicz, K. A. Vonnahme, M. L. Johnson, A. T. Grazul-Bilska, D. A. Redmer, and J. S. Caton Placental angiogenesis in sheep models of compromised pregnancy J. Physiol., May 15, 2005; 565(1): 43 - 58. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M Bertolini, A L Moyer, J B Mason, C A Batchelder, K A Hoffert, L R Bertolini, G F Carneiro, S L Cargill, T R Famula, C C Calvert, et al. Evidence of increased substrate availability to in vitro-derived bovine foetuses and association with accelerated conceptus growth Reproduction, September 1, 2004; 128(3): 341 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. C. Chase Jr., D. G. Riley, T. A Olson, S. W. Coleman, and A. C. Hammond Maternal and reproductive performance of Brahman x Angus, Senepol x Angus, and Tuli x Angus cows in the subtropics J Anim Sci, September 1, 2004; 82(9): 2764 - 2772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. N. Scheaffer, J. S. Caton, D. A. Redmer, and L. P. Reynolds The effect of dietary restriction, pregnancy, and fetal type in different ewe types on fetal weight, maternal body weight, and visceral organ mass in ewes J Anim Sci, June 1, 2004; 82(6): 1826 - 1838. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. G. Jenkins and C. L. Ferrell Preweaning efficiency for mature cows of breed crosses from tropically adapted Bos indicus and Bos taurus and unadapted Bos taurus breeds J Anim Sci, June 1, 2004; 82(6): 1876 - 1881. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]