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* Departamento de Tecnolog
a Agroalimentaria, División de Producción Animal, Universidad Miguel Hernández 03312 Orihuela, Spain and
and
Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Departamento de Ciencia Animal 46071 Valencia, Spain
2 Correspondence:
Carretera de Beniel Km 3,2 (phone: +34 96 6749708; fax: +34 96 6749677; E-mail:
mj.argente{at}umh.es).
The aim of this study was to investigate whether uterine capacity (UC) in rabbits was related to uterine horn length and weight and whether these uterine traits and vascular supply were related to fetal development and survival. Data from 48 unilaterally ovariectomized (ULO) does of the High and 52 ULO does of the Low UC lines of a divergent selection experiment on UC were used. Does were slaughtered on d 25 of fifth gestation. The High line showed higher ovarian weight (0.08 g, P < 0.05) linked to a higher ovulation rate (1 ovum, P < 0.05) and greater length of the empty uterine horn. There were no differences between lines in the remaining doe traits. The number of implanted embryos and live fetuses, fetal survival, and uterine weight and length were positively associated and explained most of the observed variation. Average weights of the live fetuses and their fetal and maternal placentae were not related to uterine weight and length. The linear regression coefficient of full uterine horn length on the number of live fetuses was 2.43 ± 0.21. The weight of the full uterine horn showed a small quadratic relationship (P < 0.05) with the number of live fetuses. Full uterine horn length, after adjusting for the number of embryos, was negatively associated (P < 0.001) with the number of dead fetuses. The linear regression coefficient of average fetal placental weight of the live fetuses on number of implanted embryos was higher (P < 0.10) in the Low line (-0.23 ± 0.04 vs. -0.12 ± 0.04). The linear regression coefficient of average weight of the live fetuses on the average weight of their fetal placentae was higher (P < 0.10) in the High line (2.56 ± 0.47 vs. 1.27 ± 0.57). The High line was more efficient, most likely because an increase in intrauterine crowding has a lesser effect on the development of fetal placentae and fetuses. The fetal position within the uterus did not affect the proportion of dead embryos. Fetuses with placentae receiving a single blood vessel had a higher probability of death (P < 0.001) and the lowest weight. There was no difference between lines for individual weight of the live fetuses, but the High line showed higher individual weights of fetal (P < 0.01) and maternal placentae (P < 0.10). Live fetuses in the mid-portion of the uterus were lighter in weight (P < 0.05) than in the oviductal and cervical regions (20.3 vs. 21.6 and 21.7g). Increasing uterine capacity increases uterine length and decreases weights of fetus and fetal placenta in rabbits.
Key Words: Blood Vessels • Fetal Development • Fetus • Placenta • Rabbits • Uterus
This article has been cited by other articles:
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  M. L. Moce, M. A. Santacreu, A. Climent, and A. Blasco The effect of divergent selection for uterine capacity on fetal and placental development at term in rabbits: Maternal and embryonic genetic effects J Anim Sci, April 1, 2004; 82(4): 1046 - 1052. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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