02402naa a2200241 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400290006010000170008924501710010626000090027750001450028652015400043165000110197170000190198270000180200170000160201970000190203570000190205470000190207370000170209277300510210910502292018-10-09       2014    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d7 a10.1530/REP-13-01042DOI1 aVIÑOLES, C.  aFollicle development, endocrine profiles and ovulation rate in adult Merino ewes-effects of early nutrition (pre-and post-natal) and supplementation with lupin grain.  c2014  aHistory article: Received 14 March 2013; First decision 8 April 2013; Revised manuscript received 17 October 2013; Accepted 23 October 2013.  aIn adult ewes, we tested whether ovarian function, including the response to short-term supplementation, was affected by the nutrition of their mothers during the pre-/postnatal period. A 2x2 factorial was used with nutrition in early life (low or high) and a 6- day supplement (with or without) as factors. All ewes received 3 prostaglandin injections 7 days apart, and the supplement (lupin grain) was fed for 6 days from 2 days after the second until the third prostaglandin injection. We measured reproductive and metabolic hormones, studied follicle dynamics (ultrasonography), and evaluated granulosa cell numbers, aromatase activity and oestradiol concentrations in follicular fluid in healthy follicles at Days 3 and 7 of supplementation. Ovulation rate was increased by 25% by exposure to high pre-/post-natal nutrition (1.5 versus 1.2; P < 0.05), in association with a small decrease in FSH concentrations (P = 0.06) and a small increase in insulin concentrations (P = 0.07). The number of healthy astral follicles was not affected. Acute   supplementation increased the number of granulose cells (3.7 ??0.2 vs 3.0 ??0.2 million; P < 0.05) in the largest follicle, and the circulating concentrations of oestradiol (4.6 ??0.3 vs 3.9 ??0.3 pmol/L; P < 0.05) and glucose (3.4 ??0.03 vs 3.3 ??0.03 mmol/L; P < 0.01). Both early life nutrition and acute supplementation appear to affect ovulation rate through changes in glucose-insulin homeostasis that alter follicular responsiveness to FSH and therefore oestradiol-FSH balance.  aOVINOS1 aPAGANONI, B.L.1 aMCNATTY, K.P.1 aHEATH, D.A.1 aTHOMPSON, A.N.1 aGLOVER, K.M.M.1 aMILTON, J.T.B.1 aMARTIN, G.B.  tReproduction, 2014gv. 147, no. 1, p. 101-110.