The Role of Supplemental Beef vs. Sugar during Pregnancy on Fetal and Offspring Developmental Programming in Swine

Abstract

Sugar intake is linked to developmental programming of obesity and diabetes. We hypothesized that supplementing ground beef in place of sugar during pregnancy would reduce fetal and offspring developmental programming. Gestating sows were fed 1 of 4 isocaloric supplements: control, ground beef, granulated sugar, or beef plus sugar. In the fetal study supplements were fed from d 40 to 110 of gestation and in the offspring study from d 40 until weaning. Gene expression differences in fetal liver and muscle were observed for IGF2 (P = 0.04), FBPase (P = 0.03), and IGF2R (P = 0.02). Differences were also seen in offspring back fat (sex by day interaction, P = 0.01), longissimus dorsi muscle area (treatment by sex, P = 0.001), body weight (sex, P = 0.0006; sex by day interaction, P < 0.0001), and plasma insulin concentrations (treatment by sex, P = 0.0002).