Table 1.
Summary of the effects of maternal age on the parameters measured in pregnant rats used in the study
| Parameter | Young | Older | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n number | 6 | 7 or 8 | |
| Age at mating (weeks) | 8 | 24 | |
| Weight at mating (g) | 196 ± 2.0 | 280 ± 5.9 | P < 0.0001 |
| Weight at delivery (g) | 314.6 ± 10.4 | 373.9 ± 5.5 | P < 0.0001 |
| Weight gain during pregnancy (g) | 118.4 ± 7.0 | 93.4 ± 5.2 | P < 0.015 |
| Litter size | 9.4 ± 0.6 | 9.5 ± 1.2 | 0.834 |
| Litter weight (g) | 51.0 ± 3.0 | 55.2 ± 5.7 | 0.749 |
| Average pup weight (g) | 5.4 ± 0.15 | 5.9 ± 0.15 | 0.055 |
| Maternal plasma | |||
| Cholesterol (mmol/L) | 2.39 ± 0.25 | 2.0 ± 0.21 | 0.178 |
| TAG (mmol/L) | 0.9 ± 0.25 | 1 ± 0.17 | 0.652 |
| Progesterone (ng/mL) | 25.9 ± 1.7 | 33.9 ± 4.5 | 0.147 |
| PGF2α (ng/mL) | 0.045 ± 0.01 | 0.065 ± 0.03 | 0.552 |
| PGE2 (ng/mL) | 0.22 ± 0.01 | 0.3 ± 0.02 | 0.666 |
| Myometrial tissue | |||
| Cholesterol (μmol/L/mg) | 51.1 ± 7.6 | 47.9 ± 4.6 | 0.715 |
| TAG (μmol/L/mg) | 52.6 ± 14.6 | 50.4 ± 10.9 | 0.905 |
| GJA1 (relative density to β-actin) | 41189 ± 9681 | 42439 ± 6817 | 0.718 |
| PTGS2 (relative density to β-actin) | 14660 ± 3900 | 11066 ± 2931 | 0.469 |
| CAV-1 (relative density to β-actin) | 16189 ± 3638 | 14222 ± 2993 | 0.684 |