Dietary nucleotides supplementation during the suckling period improves the antioxidative ability of neonates with intrauterine growth retardation when using a pig model.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary nucleotides supplementation on the antioxidant status of piglets affected by intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Fourteen pairs of normal birth weight (NBW) and IUGR piglets were fed either a control diet (CON) or a nucleotides supplementation diet (NT) from 7 d of age to 28 d postnatal. Blood, liver and jejunum samples were collected at the end of the study. The results showed that IUGR piglets had decreased ( < 0.05) concentrations of plasma total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), gene expressions of hepatic cytoplasmic copper/zinc SOD (CuZnSOD) and PPARγ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and jejunal glutathione peroxidase (GP) and extracellular superoxide dismutase (ESOD), accordingly, there was markedly higher ( < 0.05) plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and hepatic and jejunal mitochondria DNA content in the IUGR piglets relative to NBW piglets. Regardless of body weight, dietary NT supplementation significantly increased ( < 0.05) plasma concentrations of T-AOC, T-SOD, CuZnSOD, GP and the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, hepatic T-SOD, GP and mitochondria DNA content, while hepatic MDA concentration was markedly decreased ( < 0.05) 19.1% by NT diet. Furthermore, the gene expressions of hepatic glutathione reductase, CuZnSOD, nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2, PGC-1α and nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and jejunal GP, CuZnSOD, ESOD and NRF-1 were significantly increased ( < 0.05) by NT diet, whereas the gene expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 were markedly decreased ( < 0.05) compared with that of piglets fed with CON diet. These results indicate that dietary NT supplementation prevents the effect of IUGR on oxidative status and mitochondria DNA damage through improving the non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant capacities as well as mitochondria biogenesis of piglets.