Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2023, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (12): 5112-5124.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2023.12.021

• ANIMAL NUTRITION AND FEEDS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Maternal Betaine Supplementation Promotes the Breast Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy in Offspring Goslings via IGFs Signaling Pathway

MA Shuai1,2, WAN Yan1,2, ZHUANG Xinjuan3, WANG Wenzheng3, ZHAO Ruqian1,2*   

  1. 1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
    2. Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210095, China;
    3. Jiangsu Lihua Animal Husbandry Co., Ltd., Changzhou 213168, China
  • Received:2023-05-22 Online:2023-12-23 Published:2023-12-26

Abstract: The aim of this experiment was to explore the effects of maternal betaine supplementation on the breast muscle development and mechanism of offspring goslings. A total of 540 healthy geese breeeders with similar body weight at 39 weeks old were randomly divided into 3 groups with 5 replicates per group and 36 geese per replicate, male and female ratio was 1∶5. Geese breeders in control were fed a basal diet, and the others in the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.25% (LBT group) or 0.5% (HBT group) betaine. The trail lasted for 7 weeks, eggs were collected during the 7th week for consecutive day and hatched. After hatching, 160 healthy one-day-old goslings with similar body weight were selected from each group (half male and half famale), offspring goslings were fed the same basal diet, the trial last for 63 days. Ten goslings from each group were slaughtered and breast muscle samples were collected at 35 and 63 days of age, respectively. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detected the expression levels of muscle fiber types, growth-related genes and protein in breast muscle. The results showed that: maternal betaine supplementation significantly increased the body weight and breast muscle weight of offspring goslings in HBT group at the age of 35 days (P<0.01), as well as in LBT group at the age of 63 days (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and significantly increased breast muscle index in HBT group at 63 day of age (P<0.05). Compared with the CON group, the muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area from offspring goslings at 35 days of age in LBT and HBT groups and at 63 days of age in HBT group were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the muscle fiber density of the 35-day-old HBT group was significantly reduced (P<0.05), in addition, the RNA and protein content in HBT group at 35 and 63 days of age and RNA content in LBT group at 35 days of age were also significantly raised (P<0.05); There were no significant change in the breast muscle fiber types, while the mRNA expression of Pax7 was significantly elevated in LBT and HBT group at 35 and 63 days of age. At 35 days of age, the IGF-2 content of the breast muscle was significantly increased in HBT group (P<0.05) and the mRNA expression levels of IGF-2, IGF-1R, and mTOR were also significantly up-regulated in LBT and HBT groups (P<0.05; except mTOR in LBT group, P=0.07). At 63 days of age, the contents of IGF-1 and IGF-2 was significantly enhanced in breast muscle from LBT and HBT groups (P<0.05), which was line with higher mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-2, IGF-1R, and mTOR (except mTOR in LBT group) genes, compared with CON group (P<0.05). In addition, maternal betaine supplementation significantly increased the protein expression of p-mTOR in breast muscle of 35-day-old offspring goslings in both experimental groups, as well as the protein expression of p-AKT and p-mTOR in breast muscle of 63-day-old offspring goslings in HBT group (P<0.05). These results indicated that maternal betaine supplementation promotes the protein synthesis of breast muscle of goslings by activating IGFs-related signaling pathways, thus increase the breast muscle weight.

Key words: betaine, offspring goslings, breast muscle, muscle fiber, insulin-like growth factor

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