ArticleJournal of animal science2026
Influence of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed consumed by pregnant heifers on uterine artery blood flow and offspring growth performance: investigating melatonin as a potential therapeutic.
Article in Journal of animal science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
The primary objective was to evaluate the influence of endophyte-infected, toxic, tall fescue (E+) seed consumed by pregnant heifers during mid to late gestation on uterine artery blood flow (BF) and offspring growth performance parameters. The secondary objective was to evaluate melatonin supplementation as a potential therapeutic to rescue expected fescue-associated reductions in uterine artery BF and offspring growth performance. Pregnant heifers (n = 56) artificially inseminated with sex-sorted (X chromosome-bearing sperm) semen from a single Angus sire were assigned to one of four treatments: endophyte-free tall fescue (E-) seed with melatonin, E-/M; E- seed without melatonin, E-/NM; E+ seed with melatonin, E+/M; or E+ seed without melatonin, E+/NM (melatonin dose: 100 µg/kg of body weight). Dietary treatments were administered for a 70-d period between May and July starting at 160 ± 13 d of gestation. Plasma prolactin and body weight were decreased (P ≤ 0.01) in pregnant heifers that consumed E+ relative to E- seed during the 70-d treatment period. On d 70 of the treatment period, ipsilateral uterine artery BF, ipsilateral uterine artery BF as a proportion of body weight, ipsilateral uterine artery diameter, contralateral uterine artery diameter, and total uterine artery BF (summation of ipsilateral and contralateral uterine artery BF) were decreased (P ≤ 0.05), while ipsilateral uterine artery pulsatility index was increased (P = 0.03) in pregnant heifers that consumed E+ seed relative to E- seed. Gestation length, birth weight, adjusted 205-d weaning weight (205-d WW), and post-weaning weights were decreased (P ≤ 0.03) in calves born to dams that consumed E+ relative to E- seed during gestation. Calf 205-d WW was decreased (P = 0.03) in calves born to E+/NM dams relative to E-/M, E-/NM, and E+/M. Ultrasonic estimates of ribeye area were decreased (P = 0.03) in calves born to E+/NM relative to E-/NM and E+/M but not E-/M dams. Consumption of E+ seed during mid to late gestation by heifers resulted in decreased uterine artery BF and offspring growth performance. While melatonin supplementation did not rescue fescue-associated reductions in uterine artery BF, it did rescue over 60% of fescue-associated losses in postweaning offspring growth performance. Results support the potential use of melatonin supplementation in pregnant cattle grazing toxic fescue as a therapeutic to improve offspring growth performance.
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