Effects of branched-chain amino acids on placental amino acid transfer and insulin and glucagon release in the ovine fetus

Article Abstract:

Branched-chain amino acids such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine can inhibit the uptake of other amino acids by the fetus, as documented by a study in sheep. This may occur because of competition among amino acids for the placental amino acid transporters.

Food and nutrition, Biological transport, Active, Active biological transport, Amino acid metabolism

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Ultrasonographic assessment of fetal growth: comparison between human and ovine fetus

Article Abstract:

The human fetus grows more slowly in the late stages of gestation than the sheep fetus. Researchers used ultrasound on 43 pregnant sheep to measure the growth rate of the tibia and femur, the abdominal circumference and the diameter of the head in the fetal lamb. These measurements were compared to those of human fetuses. Abdominal girth and femur length grew much more quickly in the fetal lambs than in human fetuses even though abdominal girth and femur length are almost equal in both species at birth. Human infants and newborn lambs are approximately the same weight at birth even though the sheep's gestation rate is approximately half that of humans. One hypothesis states that a species with a bigger brain than another similarly-sized species has to grow more slowly as a fetus to increase the brain to body mass ratio.

Growth, Sheep, Fetal development

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Fetal supply of amino acids and amino nitrogen after maternal infusion of amino acids in pregnant sheep

Article Abstract:

It may not be possible to increase the supply of amino acids to a fetus by asking the mother to consume more amino acids. Researchers tested this idea in sheep by giving pregnant sheep intravenous infusions of amino acids and measured uptake of amino acids by the placenta. Despite increases in the concentration of the amino acids in the mother's blood, placental uptake did not increase except for an increase in uptake of branched-chain amino acids.

Maternal-fetal exchange, Physiological aspects, Placenta, Amino acids

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