Maternal insulin resistance during late gestation impairs brown adipose tissue development and thermogenic function in calves.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

This study investigated the effect of maternal insulin resistance (IR) during late gestation on brown adipose tissue (BAT) development and thermogenic function in neonatal calves. Forty-four dry Holstein cows were selected for the study. Blood samples were collected during the dry period to assess insulin and glucose concentrations, and maternal IR was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). The cows were divided into 2 groups: maternal low IR (n = 22) and maternal high IR (n = 22). Immediately after birth, calves were separated from their dams and closely monitored for growth. Calf health was monitored from birth to 1 mo of age, 3 times per week, using standardized clinical scoring of fecal consistency, cough, nasal discharge, and respiration rate. Body weight, body length, withers height, and rectal temperature were recorded at birth, and blood glucose levels were assessed at various intervals following a glucose tolerance test (GTT). At birth (n = 10 per group) and at 1 mo (n = 12 per group), calves were killed, and perirenal BAT samples were collected for histological and molecular analyses. Thermogenic and mitochondrial dynamics markers were evaluated at the mRNA and protein levels using quantitative PCR and western blotting. Stromal vascular fractions (SVF) from perirenal BAT collected from calves at 0 d of age were cultured under hyperglycemic and hyp

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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