The male contribution for the development of robust phenotypes and the mitigating role of good sow welfare

• Grant number: 18/01082-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2019
• End date: April 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Adroaldo Jose Zanella
• Grantee: Adroaldo Jose Zanella
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Luiz Lehmann Coutinho ; Mariana Groke Marques ; Ricardo Zanella
• Associated research grant(s): 20/00826-0 - Epigenetic consequences of the experiences during the pre-mating period in boars on indicators of cognition and emotionality in piglets, AP.R SPRINT

Abstract

Mortality and morbidity in the neonatal period, and the sequelae of the challenges in this period are the most relevant issues to assure the welfare of pigs, and other species. Mortality data range from 5 to 20% of piglets born. Our hypothesis is that the survival, welfare and health outcomes of the offspring are related to the conditions of their parents, male and female, in the period prior to mating. The impact of these challenges can be mitigated by the quality of life of the female in the gestational period and the quality of the maternal-filial relationship in the neonatal period. This hypothesis will be tested in three experiments involving domestic pigs. The welfare of males and females, kept in enriched or poor environments in prior to mating will be monitored. The animals will also have their health challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which simulates a disease situation. The different treatments (LPS or saline) and rich or poor housing combinations of males will result in four distinct groups, whose collected semen will be pooled in each treatment so that it can be used in the insemination of females that will be kept in an enriched or poor environment during pregnancy. Lameness will be assessed in the females. Behavioral measures, emotionality, cognition, cognitive bias, physiological as well as productivity indicators will be measured in pregnant females and their piglets. The expectation is that the piglets of females kept in enriched systems during gestation, whose males were not challenged by LPS prior to copulation and maintained in a rich environment, will have the best indicators of health, welfare and productivity. We also expect that a rich environment for pregnant females will mitigate the negative effects of LPS challenged males on health and welfare outcomes for the offspring. (AU)

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PARADA SARMIENTO, MARISOL; BERNARDINO, THIAGO; TATEMOTO, PATRICIA; POLO, GINA; JOSE ZANELLA, ADROALDO. The in-utero experience of piglets born from sows with lameness shapes their life trajectory. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 11, n. 1, JUN 22 2021. (18/01082-4, 17/05604-2)

BERNARDINO, THIAGO; CARVALHO, CARLA PATRICIA TEODORO; BATISSACO, LEONARDO; CELEGHINI, ENEIVA CARLA CARVALHO; ZANELLA, ADROALDO JOSE. Poor welfare compromises testicle physiology in breeding boars. PLoS One, v. 17, n. 5, p. 12-pg., 2022-01-01. (17/05604-2, 18/01082-4)

ALVES, LUANA; DE NOVAIS, FRANCISCO JOSE; DA SILVA, ARTHUR NERY; ARAUJO, MICHELLE SILVA; BERNARDINO, THIAGO; OSOWSKI, GERMANA VIZZOTTO; ZANELLA, RICARDO; SETTLES, MATTHEW LEE; HOLMES, MARK A.; FUKUMASU, HEIDGE; et al. Vaginal Microbiota Diversity in Response to Lipopolysaccharide in Gilts Housed Under Three Housing Systems. FRONTIERS IN GENETICS, v. 13, p. 8-pg., 2022-04-08. (17/03818-5, 18/01082-4)

TATEMOTO, PATRICIA; BERNARDINO, THIAGO; MAZZOCCA LOPES RODRIGUES, FREDERICO AUGUSTO; ZANELLA, ADROALDO JOSE. Does high stereotypic behavior expression affect productivity measures in sows?. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE ZOOTECNIA-BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE, v. 48, 2019. (18/01082-4)

SABEI, LEANDRO; SARMIENTO, MARISOL PARADA; BERNARDINO, THIAGO; CAKMAKCI, CIHAN; FARIAS, SHARACELY DE SOUZA; SATO, DENIS; ZANELLA, MARCIA INES GRAPEGGIA; POLETTO, ROSANGELA; ZANELLA, ADROALDO JOSE. Inheriting the sins of their fathers: boar life experiences can shape the emotional responses of their offspring. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE, v. 4, p. 14-pg., 2023-07-10. (18/01082-4)

PARADA SARMIENTO, MARISOL; LANZONI, LYDIA; SABEI, LEANDRO; CHINCARINI, MATTEO; PALME, RUPERT; ZANELLA, ADROALDO JOSE; VIGNOLA, GIORGIO. Lameness in Pregnant Sows Alters Placental Stress Response. ANIMALS, v. 13, n. 11, p. 11-pg., 2023-05-23. (18/01082-4)