Abstract

CONIGLIO, MV et al. Effects of nutritional restriction on placental blood vessels development in goats. InVet [online]. 2016, vol.18, n.1, pp.67-75. ISSN 1668-3498.

The aim was to study the effects of nutritional restriction on placental angiogenesis in Anglo nubian goats. 19 term placenta of three groups were used: control, restricted and restricted with monensin. Tissue sections were processed by routine histological techniques and immunostained with the anti-VEGF antibody and the area and perimeter of the blood vessels were quantified. The perimeter of vessels of the restricted groups was statistically higher compared to the control. While the area of the vessels do not show significant differences in any of the 3 groups. VEGF was localized in trophoblastic epithelial cells control and restricted, also in the latter was also localized to the vascular endothelium. The number of immunolabeled VEGF cells was higher in the restricted groups, coinciding in these groups with the larger perimeter of the vessels, so VEGF would stimulate the growth of the vascular endothelium. The differences between the restricted and the control groups, suggest that there was a compensatory adaptation of goats subjected to a restricted diet, because the vascular area remained unchanged due to the increase of the perimeter of the blood vessels.

Keywords : Placenta; Angiogenesis; VEGF; Goat.