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Genzer SC, Flietstra T, Coleman-McCray JD, Tansey C, Welch SR, Spengler JR. Effect of Parental Age, Parity, and Pairing Approach on Reproduction in Strain 13/N Guinea Pigs ( Cavia porcellus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050895. [PMID: 36899751 PMCID: PMC10000240 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Guinea pigs are important animal models for human disease, and both outbred and inbred lines are utilized in biomedical research. The optimal maintenance of guinea pig colonies, commercially and in research settings, relies on robust informed breeding programs, however, breeding data on specialized inbred strains are limited. Here, we investigated the effects of parental age, parity, and pairing approaches on mean total fetus count, percentage of female pups in the litter, and pup survival rate after 10 days in strain 13/N guinea pigs. Our analysis of colony breeding data indicates that the average litter size is 3.3 pups, with a 25.2% stillbirth rate, a failure-to-thrive outcome in 5.1% of pups, and a 10 day survival rate of 69.7%. The only variable to significantly affect the reproductive outcomes examined was parental age (p < 0.05). In comparison to adults, both juvenile and geriatric sows had lower total fetus counts; juvenile boars had a higher percentage of females in litters, and geriatric boars had a lower 10 day survival rate of pups. These studies provide valuable information regarding the reproductive characteristics of strain 13/N guinea pigs, and support a variety of breeding approaches without significant effects on breeding success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Genzer
- Comparative Medicine Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Timothy Flietstra
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - JoAnn D. Coleman-McCray
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Cassandra Tansey
- Comparative Medicine Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Stephen R. Welch
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jessica R. Spengler
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Correspondence:
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Candia AA, Jiménez T, Navarrete Á, Beñaldo F, Silva P, García-Herrera C, Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Krause BJ, González-Candia A, Herrera EA. Developmental Ultrasound Characteristics in Guinea Pigs: Similarities with Human Pregnancy. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10020144. [PMID: 36851448 PMCID: PMC9963037 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10020144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biometrical and blood flow examinations are fundamental for assessing fetoplacental development during pregnancy. Guinea pigs have been proposed as a good model to study fetal development and related gestational complications; however, longitudinal growth and blood flow changes in utero have not been properly described. This study aimed to describe fetal and placental growth and blood flow of the main intrauterine vascular beds across normal guinea pig pregnancy and to discuss the relevance of this data for human pregnancy. METHODS Pregnant guinea pigs were studied from day 25 of pregnancy until term (day ~70) by ultrasound and Doppler assessment. The results were compared to human data from the literature. RESULTS Measurements of biparietal diameter (BPD), cranial circumference (CC), abdominal circumference, and placental biometry, as well as pulsatility index determination of umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR), were feasible to determine across pregnancy, and they could be adjusted to linear or nonlinear functions. In addition, several of these parameters showed a high correlation coefficient and could be used to assess gestational age in guinea pigs. We further compared these data to ultrasound variables from human pregnancy with high similarities. CONCLUSIONS BPD and CC are the most reliable measurements to assess fetal growth in guinea pigs. Furthermore, this is the first report in which the MCA pulsatility index and CPR are described across guinea pig gestation. The guinea pig is a valuable model to assess fetal growth and blood flow distribution, variables that are comparable with human pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro A. Candia
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2841959, Chile
| | - Tamara Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
| | - Álvaro Navarrete
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Felipe Beñaldo
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
| | - Pablo Silva
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
| | - Claudio García-Herrera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170022, Chile
| | - Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Bernardo J. Krause
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2841959, Chile
| | - Alejandro González-Candia
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of O’Higgins, Rancagua 2841959, Chile
- Correspondence: (A.G.-C.); (E.A.H.); Tel.: +56-2-3328-6038 (A.G.-C.); +56-2-2977-0543 (E.A.H.)
| | - Emilio A. Herrera
- Laboratorio de Función y Reactividad Vascular, Programa de Fisiopatología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7500922, Chile
- International Center for Andean Studies (INCAS), University of Chile, Putre 1070000, Chile
- Correspondence: (A.G.-C.); (E.A.H.); Tel.: +56-2-3328-6038 (A.G.-C.); +56-2-2977-0543 (E.A.H.)
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Mugnier A, Cane T, Gaillard V, Grellet A, Chastant S. Birth weight in the feline species: Description and factors of variation in a large population of purebred kittens. Theriogenology 2022; 190:32-37. [PMID: 35914349 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Birth weight is one of the earliest health parameters with short (neonatal period) and long term (adulthood) implications for an individual. The present work was conducted on the domestic cat, with the objective of determining factors affecting kitten birth weight. Data voluntarily shared by 139 French breeders allowed building a large dataset of purebred kittens (n = 3,547) from 15 breeds. A linear mixed model with queen and cattery as random terms was used to investigate variation factors of kitten birth weight such as breed, litter size, season of birth, age of the queen, presence of stillborn in the litter, sex of the kitten. The most important factor was breed which explained 25% of the variation in birth weight observed in the study population. The five other parameters were also significant but explained only a small additional part of the variance (less than 3% each). Analyses showed that kitten birth weight increased with the age of the queen, was higher in males than females and in litters without stillbirth than in litters with at least one stillborn. In addition, lower birth weights were recorded in summer and autumn compared to other seasons, and birth weight values decreased as the number of kittens in the litter increased. In order to group feline breeds according to their average birth weights and litter sizes, a K-means algorithm was used to identify three clusters among the 15 breeds represented (Group 1: small litter sizes/low birth weights; Group 2: large litter sizes/intermediate birth weights; Group 3: large litter sizes/high birth weights). This study, based on a large dataset established at the national scale, provides reference values of feline birth weights for breeders and veterinarians. The next step could be to explore the relationship between birth weight and neonatal mortality to help identify neonates requiring specific care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Mugnier
- NeoCare, Université de Toulouse, ENVT, Toulouse, France.
| | - Thibault Cane
- NeoCare, Université de Toulouse, ENVT, Toulouse, France
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Baqueiro-Espinosa U, McEvoy V, Arnott G. Factors influencing ease of whelping and its relationship with maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality in commercially bred dogs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6680. [PMID: 35461375 PMCID: PMC9035175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10707-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
For dog breeders, parturition is a critical stage in the reproductive cycle of the dam. Evidence in other mammals suggests that a difficult labour can influence maternal behaviour and offspring viability during the first hours postpartum. However, the effect of whelping difficulty on the onset of maternal behaviour has not yet been investigated in domestic dogs. Here we developed an ease of whelping (EoW) index in dams maintained within a Commercial dog Breeding Establishment (CBE) environment and investigated the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic factors (breed group according to size/weight, litter size, parity, whelping season and origin of the dam), EoW, early maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality. The behaviour of 30 dams was observed throughout the whelping process, starting 24 h before delivery of the first puppy until birth of the last puppy. Parturition duration, birth interval, and behaviours indicative of distress, restlessness, and general activity were scored and included in a Principal Component Analysis to construct the EoW index. Subsequently, mother-pup interactions and puppy perinatal mortality were recorded during the first 24 and 72 h postpartum respectively. Results showed that EoW was significantly affected by whelping season, litter size and origin of the dam (whether she was born and raised within the CBE or brought in). Furthermore, mothers that experienced more difficult parturitions (higher EoW score) spent more time lying in contact with their puppies during the first 24 h postpartum. Time in contact with puppies was also significantly affected by breed group. Nursing duration was significantly affected by breed group and origin of the dam. Additionally, medium-size breed (10-20 kg) puppies were significantly less likely to experience perinatal mortality than large breeds (> 20 kg). These findings are particularly relevant for the welfare of breeding dams maintained in large-scale CBEs where the staff-to-dog ratio might be insufficient to adequately manage multiple simultaneous parturitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Baqueiro-Espinosa
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK.
| | - Victoria McEvoy
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Gareth Arnott
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
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Influence of Litter Size at Birth on Productive Parameters in Guinea Pigs ( Cavia porcellus). Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112059. [PMID: 33171794 PMCID: PMC7695018 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A study was conducted at the Escuela Superior Politècnica de Chimborazo, Ecuador, to evaluate the influence of litter size of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) on their development and to establish the economic profitability of the production system. Forty-eight animals were used, distributed into litters of two, three, and four rodents per litter, with a balanced diet and green fresh alfalfa for the weaning, growth, and fattening stage, the rodents and litters were randomly selected, applying the statistical model completely randomly and evaluating different variables across 120 days. The litters of three guinea pigs obtained the best productive responses and economic profitability. With respect to sex, the males presented better productive behavior, greater economic increase, and less cost, evidencing that mixed feeding influences the number of guinea pigs per birth in terms of growth and development. The results serve to improve guinea pig meat production for the rural population.
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Hribal R, Rübensam K, Bernhardt S, Jewgenow K, Guenther A. Effect of season on reproductive behaviors and fertilization success in cavies (Cavia aperea). Theriogenology 2018; 114:185-190. [PMID: 29649721 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Finding the optimal timing for breeding is crucial for small mammals to ensure survival and maximize lifetime reproductive success. Species living in temperate regions therefore often restrict breeding to seasons with favorable food and weather conditions. Although caviomorph rodents such as guinea pigs are described as non-seasonal breeders, a series of recent publications has shown seasonal adaptations in litter size, offspring birth mass and maternal investment. Here, we aim to test if seasonal patterns of litter size variation found in earlier studies, are mediated by seasonal differences in female estrus length, fertilization rate and mating behavior. The female estrus period was longer in fall compared to all other seasons (p < 0.001), frequently lasting 7-9 days while estrus in spring usually lasted less than 2 days. In fall, females mated later during estrus (p < 0.001), resulting in reduced fertilization rates (p < 0.001). Fertilization rate was well above 95% in summer while it dropped to less than 85% in fall and winter. While none of the male mating characteristics such as number and duration of copulations differed across seasons, the number of mating bouts was reduced in fall (p = 0.04). Finally, the developmental stages of flushed embryos were more diverse in spring and summer compared to fall and winter. These results suggest that seasonal differences in fertilization rate and quality of implanted embryos are mediated by female estrus length and timing and intensity of mating behavior. Together, these effects contribute to the observed differences in litter size across seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy Hribal
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kathrin Rübensam
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Bernhardt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Katarina Jewgenow
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Reproduction Biology, PF 700430, 10324 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; GELIFES-Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Cave NJ, Bridges JP, Weidgraaf K, Thomas DG. Nonlinear mixed models of growth curves from domestic shorthair cats in a breeding colony, housed in a seasonal facility to predict obesity. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2018; 102:1390-1400. [DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick John Cave
- School of Veterinary Science; Massey University; Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Janis P. Bridges
- School of Veterinary Science; Massey University; Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Karin Weidgraaf
- School of Agriculture and Environment; Massey University; Palmerston North New Zealand
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Nemeth M, Millesi E, Siutz C, Wagner KH, Quint R, Wallner B. Reproductive performance and gestational effort in relation to dietary fatty acids in guinea pigs. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2017; 8:28. [PMID: 28373905 PMCID: PMC5376286 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-017-0158-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dietary saturated (SFAs) and polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids can highly affect reproductive functions by providing additional energy, modulating the biochemical properties of tissues, and hormone secretions. In precocial mammals such as domestic guinea pigs the offspring is born highly developed. Gestation might be the most critical reproductive period in this species and dietary fatty acids may profoundly influence the gestational effort. We therefore determined the hormonal status at conception, the reproductive success, and body mass changes during gestation in guinea pigs maintained on diets high in PUFAs or SFAs, or a control diet. Results The diets significantly affected the females’ plasma fatty acid status at conception, while cortisol and estrogen levels did not differ among groups. SFA females exhibited a significantly lower body mass and litter size, while the individual birth mass of pups did not differ among groups and a general higher pup mortality rate in larger litters was diminished by PUFAs and SFAs. The gestational effort, determined by a mother’s body mass gain during gestation, increased with total litter mass, whereas this increase was lowest in SFA and highest in PUFA individuals. The mother’s body mass after parturition did not differ among groups and was positively affected by the total litter mass in PUFA females. Conclusions While SFAs reduce the litter size, but also the gestational effort as a consequence, PUFA supplementation may contribute to an adjustment of energy accumulations to the total litter mass, which may both favor a mother’s body condition at parturition and perhaps increase the offspring survival at birth. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40104-017-0158-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Nemeth
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Millesi
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carina Siutz
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl-Heinz Wagner
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Quint
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernard Wallner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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