Objectives of this experiment were to characterize the effects of ram plane of nutrition on body composition, concentrations of hormones and metabolites, sperm characteristics, and offspring outcomes. Mature Rambouillet rams (n = 24, BW = 82.9 ± 2.63 kg) were individually housed and randomly assigned to either a positive (POS; n = 8), maintenance (MAINT; n = 8), or negative (NEG; n = 8) plane of nutrition for an 84-day feeding period. Rams were fed a common diet, with daily feed allocations adjusted weekly based on body weight (BW) to achieve the targeted weight gain or loss (approximately 12% of initial BW). On 0, 28, 56, and 84-d, body condition score (BCS) and scrotal circumference (SC) were recorded, and blood and semen were collected. Following the feeding period, rams were placed in pens with 10 ewes each for a 28-d breeding period. Ewes were managed similarly throughout gestation and body weight and measurements were recorded at birth and weaning. Data were analyzed as repeated measures in time where appropriate with the mixed procedure of SAS, and individual ram was the experimental unit for all analysis. Ram BW was influenced by a treatment × day interaction (P < 0.001), with POS (0.12 ± 0.01 kg) having greater daily weight change than MAINT (0.1 ± 0.01 kg), which was greater than NEG (-0.12 ± 0.01 kg). Ram BCS and SC were influenced by treatment × day interactions (P ≤ 0.01), being similar on day 0 but POS being greater than NEG by day 56. Concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and T3:T4 ratio exhibited treatment × day interactions (P ≤ 0.02), as POS had greater values than NEG by day 84 (P ≤ 0.02). Concentration of insulin-like growth factor-1 was greater in POS than MAINT and NEG (P ≤ 0.02), and non-esterified fatty acids and thyroxine (T4) were influenced by a day effect (P ≤ 0.01), but testosterone was unaffected (P ≥ 0.09). Minimal differences in semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, or morphology were observed among treatments (P ≥ 0.31). A similar proportion of ewes bred by rams in the respective treatments lambed and weaned lambs (P ≥ 0.54). Birth weight, chest circumference, and shoulder-hip length were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in NEG lambs compared with POS and MAINT; however, no differences were detected in weaning weight and weaning body measurements (P ≥ 0.40). Findings suggest paternal nutrition during the period of sperm development may influence offspring outcomes, potentially as a result of in-utero programming of paternal origin.

中文翻译：

---

成熟公羊的不同营养平面会影响身体成分、激素和代谢物浓度以及后代出生测量，但不会影响精液特征或后代生长


本实验的目的是表征 ram 平面营养对身体成分、激素和代谢物浓度、精子特性和后代结果的影响。将成熟的朗布依埃公羊 （n = 24， BW = 82.9 ± 2.63 kg） 单独饲养，并随机分配到阳性 （POS;n = 8）、维持 （MAINT;n = 8） 或阴性 （NEG;n = 8） 营养平面，为期 84 天的饲喂期。公羊饲喂普通饮食，每周根据体重 （BW） 调整每日饲料分配，以达到目标体重增加或减少（约占初始体重的 12%）。在 0 、 28 、 56 和 84 d 时，记录体况评分 （BCS） 和阴囊围 （SC），并收集血液和精液。饲喂期结束后，将公羊放在围栏中，每只母羊有 10 只母羊，进行 28 天的繁殖期。母羊在整个妊娠期间都受到类似的管理，并在出生和断奶时记录体重和测量值。在 SAS 的混合程序中，在适当的情况下及时对数据进行重复测量进行分析，单个 ram 是所有分析的实验单位。Ram BW 受处理×天交互作用的影响 （P < 0.001），POS （0.12 ± 0.01 kg） 的日体重变化大于 MAINT （0.1 ± 0.01 kg），后者大于 NEG （-0.12 ± 0.01 kg）。Ram BCS 和 SC 受治疗× 天相互作用的影响 （P ≤ 0.01），第 0 天相似，但第 56 天 POS 大于 NEG。三碘甲状腺原氨酸 （T3） 和 T3：T4 比率的浓度表现出治疗×天的相互作用 （P ≤ 0.02），因为到第 84 天 POS 的值高于 NEG （P ≤ 0.02）。POS 中胰岛素样生长因子-1 的浓度高于 MAINT 和 NEG （P ≤ 0。02） 和未酯化脂肪酸和甲状腺素 （T4） 受日效应影响 （P ≤ 0.01），但睾酮不受影响 （P ≥ 0.09）。在处理之间观察到精液量、精子浓度、活力或形态的差异最小 （P ≥ 0.31）。公羊在各自的处理中繁殖的母羊比例相似 产羔羊 和 断奶羔羊 （P ≥ 0.54）。与 POS 和 MAINT 相比，NEG 羔羊的出生体重、胸围和肩臀长度更大 （P ≤ 0.05）;然而，在断奶体重和断奶体重测量值方面未检测到差异 （P ≥ 0.40）。研究结果表明，精子发育期间的父系营养可能会影响后代的结果，这可能是父系起源的宫内编程的结果。