Endocrine Abstracts

Programming of the HPA axis during prenatal and early postnatal life may explain, in part, the association between low birth weight (BW) and the increased incidence of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in later life. The present study examined the effect of variations in intrauterine growth on HPA axis function, assessed by an insulin-induced hypoglycemic challenge, in 3 and 12 month (m) old pigs.Low BW (<1.5 kg; n=22) and high BW (>1.5 kg; n=25...

Recent health reports state that the population of western countries is consuming excessive amounts of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the diet. Dietary n-6 PUFAs are precursors for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, which play important roles in parturition. Increased dietary n-6 PUFA could thus alter PG production. This study determined the effect of a high n-6 PUFA diet on PG production and the timing of the onset of labour. Pregnant Welsh Mountain ewes were fed an is...