Dietary manipulation of Bos indicus x heifers during gestation affects the prepubertal reproductive development of their bull calves

We determined the influence of nutritional protein and energy during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy in composite beef heifers on prepubertal reproductive parameters of their male calves. At artificial insemination, heifers were stratified by weight within each composite genotype into 4 treatment groups: High/High (HH=250% crude protein (CP) and 243% metabolisable energy (ME) for first and 229% CP and 228% ME for second trimester of pregnancy), High/Low (HL=250% CP and 243% ME for first trimester and 63% CP and 176% ME for second trimester) Low/High (LowH=75% CP and 199% ME for first trimester and 229% CP and 228% ME for second trimester) or Low/Low (LL=75% CP and 199% ME for first trimester and 63% CP and 176% ME for second trimester). At 5 months of age, male calves were castrated. and gonaclotrophins and testosterone (pre- and post-GnRH challenge), IGF-I and leptin were measured along with testicular parameters