Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 22;13(1):4672. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31943-8.
Telomere length is associated with longevity and survival in multiple species. In human population-based studies, multiple prenatal factors have been described to be associated with a newborn's telomere length. In the present study, we measured relative leukocyte telomere length in 210 Holstein Friesian heifers, within the first ten days of life. The dam's age, parity, and milk production parameters, as well as environmental factors during gestation were assessed for their potential effect on telomere length. We found that for both primi- and multiparous dams, the telomere length was 1.16% shorter for each day increase in the calf's age at sampling (P = 0.017). The dam's age at parturition (P = 0.045), and the median temperature-humidity index (THI) during the third trimester of gestation (P = 0.006) were also negatively associated with the calves' TL. Investigating multiparous dams separately, only the calf's age at sampling was significantly and negatively associated with the calves' TL (P = 0.025). Results of the present study support the hypothesis that in cattle, early life telomere length is influenced by prenatal factors. Furthermore, the results suggest that selecting heifers born in winter out of young dams might contribute to increased longevity in dairy cattle.
端粒长度与多种物种的长寿和生存有关。在基于人群的人类研究中，已经描述了多种产前因素与新生儿的端粒长度有关。在本研究中，我们在出生后十天内测量了 210 头荷斯坦弗里森奶牛的相对白细胞端粒长度。评估了母畜的年龄、胎次和产奶量参数以及妊娠期间的环境因素，以研究其对端粒长度的潜在影响。我们发现，对于初产和经产母牛，小牛的采样年龄每增加一天，端粒长度就会缩短 1.16%（P=0.017）。分娩时母畜的年龄（P=0.045）和妊娠第三季度的中值温度-湿度指数（THI）（P=0.006）也与小牛的 TL 呈负相关。分别对经产母牛进行调查，只有小牛的采样年龄与小牛的 TL 呈显著负相关（P=0.025）。本研究的结果支持这样的假设，即在牛中，早期生活的端粒长度受产前因素的影响。此外，结果表明，从年轻的母牛中选择在冬季出生的小母牛可能有助于提高奶牛的寿命。
