Advancing Investigations in Swine Reproduction Efficiency at Iowa State: Part 3

Improvements in swine reproduction represent significant opportunities to increase the leadership and competitive advantage of the Iowa and US pork industries in relation to world-wide food animal agriculture. Several critical factors have a dramatic impact on the productive lifespan of not only our sow inventory but also the progeny they produce, including, but not limited to: their susceptibility to heat stress. Heat stress is a global environmental problem, claiming thousands of lives in recent years. In addition to its impact on human health, HS threatens global food security for the growing undermining efficiency at every stage of livestock production. Accomplishing the objectives in this project has: 1) increased our specific knowledge of how heat stress impacts the ovary through different biological pathways, 2) provided new knowledge with respect to how heat stress alters the uterine environment during early pregnancy, and 3) established an understanding as to how altrenogest may alter the uterine environment during early pregnancy establishment through affecting protein secretion.