121 EXPRESSION OF STEROID RECEPTORS IN THE CUMULUS - OOCYTE COMPLEX AROUND OVULATION IN THE BITCH

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 174 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Z. Tahir ◽  
K. Reynaud ◽  
S. Thoumire ◽  
S. Chastant-Maillard ◽  
M. Saint-Dizier

In the bitch, oocytes are ovulated at an immature stage (prophase I) and resume meiosis in the oviduct, 3 to 4 days after ovulation while they are still surrounded by 2 to 3 layers of cumulus cells. Canine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) are exposed to high and changing plasma concentrations of 17β-oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) during the periovulatory period. In order to explore whether oocyte maturation may be regulated by steroids in this species, the expression of E2 (ERα, ERβ) and P4 (nuclear: PR; membrane: PGRMC1, PGRMC2, mPRα, mPRβ, mPRγ) receptors was studied in COC at precise times around ovulation. Ovaries were collected from Beagle bitches during anestrus (n = 4), after the beginning of proestrus, and before the LH peak (Pre-LH, n = 7), after the LH peak and before ovulation (Pre-ov, n = 8), and at Day 1 (n = 11) and Day 4 (n = 8) post-ovulation. Anoestrus COC were recovered from follicles smaller than 1 mm in diameter. The COC at the Pre-LH and Pre-ov stages were aspirated from preovulatory follicles (4.5–6 mm in diameter). Such follicular COC were partially denuded to leave the 2 to 3 innermost cumulus layers firmly attached to the zona pellucida. Post-ovulatory COC, naturally surrounded by 2 to 3 cumulus layers, were recovered by oviductal flushing. Total RNA was extracted from 3 batches of 10 COC per stage, then reverse transcribed. The expression of steroid receptors was assessed in duplicate by qPCR (LightCycler® 480, Roche Diagnostics) using the relative standard curve method and normalized by the geometric mean value of the two most stable reference genes (BGLR and RPS5; NormFinder software) chosen among four genes previously tested. Relative amounts of mRNA levels were compared between stages by ANOVA followed, when necessary, by a Tukey test. The ERα and ERβ expression did not vary significantly with the stage. In contrast, a significant variation between stages in nuclear and 4 membrane P4 receptor expression was observed (P < 0.0001 for PR; P < 0.001 for PGRMC1 and mPRβ; P < 0.05 for PGRMC2 and mPRγ). The PR mRNA levels were significantly higher at Pre-ov than at any other stage. PGRMC1 expression was significantly higher at Pre-ov and Day 4 compared with anestrus and Pre-LH, and was at an intermediate level at Day 1. The expression of PGRMC2, mPRβ, and mPRγ remained low from anestrus to Day 1 and increased significantly at Day 4. Lastly, mRNA levels of mPRα were below the detection limit at all stages. This is the first report of steroid receptor expression in canine COC at precise times around ovulation. The stage-specific variation in expression of nuclear and of several membrane P4 receptors around ovulation suggests a role for P4 in canine oocyte maturation. The exact localisation of these receptors in cumulus cells, oocytes, or both remains to be determined.

Reproduction ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 152 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula F Lima ◽  
Cinthia M Ormond ◽  
Ester S Caixeta ◽  
Rodrigo G Barros ◽  
Christopher A Price ◽  
...  

In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes in cattle is inefficient, and there is great interest in the development of approaches to improve maturation and fertilization rates. Intraovarian signalling molecules are being explored as potential additives to IVM media. One such factor is kit ligand (KITL), which stimulates the growth of oocytes. We determined if KITL enhances oocyte maturation in cattle. The two main isoforms of KITL (KITL1 and KITL2) were expressed in bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC), and levels of mRNA increased during FSH-stimulated IVM. The addition of KITL to the culture medium increased the percentage of oocytes that reached meiosis II but did not affect cumulus expansion after 22 h of IVM. Addition of KITL reduced the levels of mRNA encoding natriuretic peptide precursor C (NPPC), a protein that holds oocytes in meiotic arrest, and increased the levels of mRNA encoding YBX2, an oocyte-specific factor involved in meiosis. Removal of the oocyte from the COC resulted in increased KITL mRNA levels and decreased NPPC mRNA levels in cumulus cells, and addition of denuded oocytes reversed these effects. Taken together, our results suggest that KITL enhances bovine oocyte nuclear maturation through a mechanism that involves NPPC, and that the oocyte regulates cumulus expression of KITL mRNA.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Z. Tahir ◽  
K. Reynaud ◽  
S. Thoumire ◽  
S. Chastant-Maillard ◽  
M. Saint-Dizier

In the bitch, the oviduct is the site of oocyte maturation (Day 1 to 3 after ovulation), sperm transport/capacitation, fertilization (Day 3 to 4) and embryo development to the morula/blastocyst stage (Day 4 to 8). Unlike other mammals, these events occur in the presence of high (>6 ng mL–1) and increasing plasma levels of progesterone (P4), but little is known about the regulation of oviductal functions by P4 in the bitch. The objective of this work was to study the mRNA expression of nuclear (PR) and membrane (PGRMC1, PGRMC2, mPRβ and mPRγ) P4 receptors in the canine oviduct during the periovulatory period. Thirty-six Beagle bitches were ovariectomized at 6 stages: anestrus, before the LH peak (pre-LH), after the LH peak (pre-ov) and after ovulation (Day 1, 4 and 7). Three oviductal regions were collected [i.e. ampulla, isthmus and utero-tubal junction (UTJ)]. Total RNA was extracted and then reverse transcribed. The expression of target genes was assessed in duplicate by quantitative PCR (LightCycler® 480; Roche Diagnostics, Meylan, France) using the relative standard curve method and normalized by the geometric mean of 2 reference genes (RPS19 and GAPDH). Relative amounts of mRNA were compared between groups by ANOVA followed, when necessary, by Duncan's test. The expression of nuclear and membrane P4 receptor mRNA varied according to the stage. Expression of PR mRNA was significantly higher at pre-LH, pre-ov and Day 1 stages [means of 1.8, 1.6 and 1.5 arbitrary units (AU), respectively] than at anoestrus, Day 4 and Day 7 (1, 0.4 and 0.5 AU, respectively) in the ampulla. Same patterns of expression were observed for PR in the isthmus and UTJ. Expression of PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 mRNA were at the lowest level during anoestrus (1 AU) and increased significantly from pre-LH to Day 7 in the ampulla (from 2.2 to 8.3 AU and from 1.3 to 5.4 AU for PGRMC1 and PGRMC2, respectively) and in the isthmus (from 0.4 to 2.6 AU and from 0.5 to 1.8 AU for PGRMC1 and PGRMC2, respectively). In the UTJ, mRNA levels for PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 were the highest at Day 4 (3.9 AU) and pre-LH (2.1 AU), respectively, compared to other stages. Expression of mPRβ mRNA did not vary according to the stage in the ampulla and the isthmus, whereas it was significantly lower at Days 4 and 7 (0.6–0.7 AU) compared to other stages (1–1.2 AU) in the UTJ. Expression of mPRγ was significantly higher at Day 7 (5.0 AU) compared to other stages (0.2–1 AU) in the ampulla and was significantly higher at both anoestrus (1 AU) and Day 7 (0.9 AU) compared to other stages (0.02–0.09 AU) in the isthmus, whereas it did not vary significantly in the UTJ. In conclusion, our data suggests that P4 may be an important regulating factor of oviductal functions and could mediate its actions through genomic as well as non-genomic pathways.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Saleh ◽  
L. Favetta

Exposure to chemicals with known endocrine-disrupting effects, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS), leads to repercussions on oocyte development and, ultimately, on fertility. Bisphenol A is a plasticizer used worldwide that has been detected in blood, urine, tissue samples and follicular fluid. Due to its widely reported detrimental effects, BPA has been substituted with its analogue BPS. Previous experiments in our laboratory have shown that exposure of bovine oocytes to physiologically relevant doses of BPA resulted in spindle abnormalities, reduced meiosis progression, decreased blastocyst rate and gene expression changes. However, the effects of BPS have not yet been investigated. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has been reported to be a good marker of ovarian reserve and oocyte developmental capability and is commonly used in assisted reproduction for diagnostic measurements. There is evidence that women undergoing IVF with higher BPA levels have lower AMH levels and pregnancy success. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of BPA and BPS on AMH and its receptor as measures of oocyte developmental capability. Abattoir-derived bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were matured in vitro in 4 groups: (1) control, (2) vehicle (0.1% ethanol), (3) BPA (0.05mg mL−1 in 0.1% ethanol), and (4) BPS (0.05mg mL−1 in 0.1% ethanol). Pools of 30 COC, 30 denuded oocytes, and cumulus cells corresponding to denuded oocytes were collected for each of the 4 experimental groups, and a minimum of 4 biological replicates were used for each analysis. Anti-Müllerian hormone and AMH receptor mRNA expression was measured in COC, denuded oocytes, and their corresponding cumulus cells using quantitative real-time PCR. Statistical analyses were performed using 1-way ANOVA. Results showed a decrease (P&lt;0.05) in AMH mRNA expression in BPA-treated oocytes (without cumulus cells). In addition, there was an increase (P&lt;0.05) in mRNA AMH receptor levels in COC when treated with BPS. Finally, analyses on cumulus cells alone showed an increase (P&lt;0.05) in the AMH receptor mRNA levels in BPA-treated cells. These results suggest that BPA has an effect on AMH mRNA transcript levels in oocytes, while affecting the receptor expression in cumulus cells. Conversely, BPS affects AMH indirectly, increasing the mRNA levels of its receptor only. Further investigation of the effects of BPA and BPS on AMH expression in in vitro-produced blastocysts derived from treated oocytes will aid in understanding the potential consequences of exposure to BPA and its analogues on early embryonic development.


Author(s):  
Er-Meng Gao ◽  
Bongkoch Turathum ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Di Zhang ◽  
Yu-Bing Liu ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study evaluated the differences in metabolites between cumulus cells (CCs) and mural granulosa cells (MGCs) from human preovulatory follicles to understand the mechanism of oocyte maturation involving CCs and MGCs. CCs and MGCs were collected from women who were undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. The differences in morphology were determined by immunofluorescence. The metabolomics of CCs and MGCs was measured by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis to further confirm the genes and proteins involved in oocyte maturation. CCs and MGCs were cultured for 48 h in vitro, and the medium was collected for detection of hormone levels. There were minor morphological differences between CCs and MGCs. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that there were differences in 101 metabolites between CCs and MGCs: 7 metabolites were upregulated in CCs, and 94 metabolites were upregulated in MGCs. The metabolites related to cholesterol transport and estradiol production were enriched in CCs, while metabolites related to antiapoptosis were enriched in MGCs. The expression of genes and proteins involved in cholesterol transport (ABCA1, LDLR, and SCARB1) and estradiol production (SULT2B1 and CYP19A1) was significantly higher in CCs, and the expression of genes and proteins involved in antiapoptosis (CRLS1, LPCAT3, and PLA2G4A) was significantly higher in MGCs. The level of estrogen in CCs was significantly higher than that in MGCs, while the progesterone level showed no significant differences. There are differences between the metabolomes of CCs and MGCs. These differences may be involved in the regulation of oocyte maturation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 476 (5) ◽  
pp. 2159-2170
Author(s):  
Qiangtang Chen ◽  
Yu Wu ◽  
Yachun Yu ◽  
Junxiang Wei ◽  
Wen Huang

AbstractHIV-1 transactivator protein (Tat) induces tight junction (TJ) dysfunction and amyloid-beta (Aβ) clearance dysfunction, contributing to the development and progression of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). The Rho/ROCK signaling pathway has protective effects on neurodegenerative disease. However, the underlying mechanisms of whether Rho/ROCK protects against HIV-1 Tat-caused dysfunction of TJ and neprilysin (NEP)/Aβ transfer receptor expression have not been elucidated. C57BL/6 mice were administered sterile saline (i.p., 100 μL) or Rho-kinase inhibitor hydroxyfasudil (HF) (i.p., 10 mg/kg) or HIV-1 Tat (i.v., 100 μg/kg) or HF 30 min before being exposed to HIV-1 Tat once a day for seven consecutive days. Evans Blue (EB) leakage was detected via spectrophotometer and brain slides in mouse brains. The protein and mRNA levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin, NEP, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) in mouse brain microvessels were, respectively, analyzed by Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses. Exposure of the mice to HIV-1 Tat increased the amount of EB leakage, EB fluorescence intensity, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, as well as the RAGE protein and mRNA levels, and decreased the protein and mRNA levels of ZO-1, occludin, NEP, and LRP1 in mouse brain microvessels. However, these effects were weakened by Rho-kinase inhibitor HF. Taken together, these results provide information that the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway is involved in HIV-1 Tat-induced dysfunction of TJ and NEP/Aβ transfer receptor expression in the C57BL/6 mouse brain. These findings shed some light on potentiality of inhibiting Rho/Rock signaling pathway in handling HAND.


2001 ◽  
Vol 356 (3) ◽  
pp. 883-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine GAMBLING ◽  
Ruth DANZEISEN ◽  
Susan GAIR ◽  
Richard G. LEA ◽  
Zehane CHARANIA ◽  
...  

Maternal iron deficiency during pregnancy induces anaemia in the developing fetus; however, the severity tends to be less than in the mother. The mechanism underlying this resistance has not been determined. We have measured placental expression of proteins involved in iron transfer in pregnant rats given diets with decreasing levels of iron and examined the effect of iron deficiency on iron transfer across BeWo cell layers, a model for placental iron transfer. Transferrin receptor expression was increased at both mRNA and protein levels. Similarly, expression of the iron-responsive element (IRE)-regulated form of the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) was also increased. In contrast, the non-IRE regulated isoform showed no change in mRNA levels. Protein levels of DMT1 increased significantly. Iron efflux is thought to be mediated by the metal transporter protein, IREG1/ferroportin1/MTP1, and oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) prior to incorporation into fetal transferrin is carried out by the placental copper oxidase. Expression of IREG1 was not altered by iron deficiency, whereas copper oxidase activity was increased. In BeWo cells made iron deficient by treatment with desferrioxamine (‘deferioxamine’), iron accumulation from iron-transferrin increased, in parallel with increased expression of the transferrin receptor. At the same time, iron efflux also increased, showing a higher flux of iron from the apical to the basolateral side. The data show that expression of placental proteins of iron transport are up-regulated in maternal iron deficiency, resulting in an increased efficiency of iron flux and a consequent minimization of the severity of fetal anaemia.


Blood ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
pp. 2962-2966 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Oria ◽  
L Sanchez ◽  
T Houston ◽  
MW Hentze ◽  
FY Liew ◽  
...  

Nitric oxide (NO) is known to increase the affinity of the intracellular iron-regulatory protein (IRP) for iron-response elements (IREs) in transferrin receptor and ferritin mRNAs, suggesting that it may act as a regulator of cellular iron metabolism. In this study, exogenous NO produced by adding the NO-generator S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine gave a dose-dependent upregulation of transferrin receptor expression by K562 erythroleukemia cells and increased levels of transferrin receptor mRNA. NO did not affect the affinity of transferrin binding by the transferrin receptor. NO alone did not alter intracellular ferritin levels, but it did abrogate the inhibitory effect of the iron chelator desferrioxamine and potentiated the stimulatory effect of additional iron. NO also caused some increase in ferritin mRNA levels, which might mask any IRP-/IRE-mediated inhibitory effect of NO on ferritin translation. Although NO did not affect net iron uptake, it increased release of iron from K562 cells pulsed previously with 59Fe, and subcellular fractionation showed that it also increased the proportion of intracellular iron bound to ferritin. These findings provide direct evidence that NO can affect cellular iron metabolism and suggest that NO produced in vivo by activated bone marrow macrophages might affect erythropoiesis.


1989 ◽  
Vol 170 (5) ◽  
pp. 1537-1549 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Bauer ◽  
T M Bauer ◽  
T Kalb ◽  
T Taga ◽  
G Lengyel ◽  
...  

IL-6 is a cytokine with pleiotropic biological functions, including induction of the hepatic acute phase response and differentiation of activated B cells into Ig-secreting plasma cells. We found that human peripheral blood monocytes express the IL-6-R, which is undetectable on the large majority of lymphocytes of healthy individuals. Stimulation of monocytes by endotoxin or IL-1 causes a rapid downregulation of IL-6-R mRNA levels and a concomitant enhancement of IL-6 mRNA expression. IL-6 itself was found to suppress the IL-6-R at high concentrations. A gradual decrease of IL-6-R mRNA levels was observed along in vitro maturation of monocytes into macrophages. We show that downregulation of IL-6-R mRNA levels by IL-1 and IL-6 is monocyte specific, since IL-6-R expression is stimulated by both IL-1 and IL-6 in cultured human primary hepatocytes. Our data indicate that under noninflammatory conditions, monocytes may play a role in binding of trace amounts of circulating IL-6. Repression of monocytic IL-6-R and stimulation of hepatocytic IL-6-R synthesis may represent a shift of the IL-6 tissue targets under inflammatory conditions.


Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (11) ◽  
pp. 4878-4886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Breuiller-Fouché ◽  
Catherine Morinière ◽  
Emmanuelle Dallot ◽  
Stéphanie Oger ◽  
Régis Rebourcet ◽  
...  

Proinflammatory cytokines produced at the fetomaternal interface, such as IL-1β, have been implicated in preterm and term labor. The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of IL-1β on the endothelin (ET)/ET receptor system in human myometrial cells. We report that myometrial cells under basal conditions not only respond to but also secrete ET-1, one of the main regulators of uterine contractions. Prolonged exposure of the cells to IL-1β led to a decrease in prepro-ET-1 and ET-3 mRNA correlated with a decrease in immunoreactive ET-1 and ET-3 levels in the culture medium. Whereas ETA receptor expression at both protein and mRNA levels was not affected by IL-1β treatment, we demonstrated an unexpected predominance of the ETB receptor subtype under this inflammatory condition. Whereas the physiological function of ETB remains unclear, we confirmed that only ETA receptors mediate ET-1-induced myometrial cell contractions under basal conditions. By contrast, prolonged exposure of the cells to IL-1β abolished the contractile effect induced by ET-1. Such a regulation of IL-1β on the ET release and the balance of ETA to ETB receptors leading to a loss of ET-1-induced myometrial cell contractions suggest that complex regulatory mechanisms take place to constraint the onset of infection-induced premature contractions.


Hypertension ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Barrera-Chimal ◽  
Sebastian M Lechner ◽  
Soumaya E Moghrabi ◽  
Peter Kolkhof ◽  
Frédéric Jaisser

Introduction: Patients who survive an episode of acute kidney injury (AKI) are at high risk of de novo chronic kidney disease (CKD) development. Pharmacological mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonism is useful to prevent CKD after a single episode of ischemic AKI in the rat. Objective: Test the involvement of myeloid MR in the development of kidney fibrosis after an ischemic AKI episode. Methods: We included 18 male C57/B6 mice that were divided in: sham, renal ischemia for 22.5 min and IR plus treatment with the non-steroidal MR antagonist finerenone (10 mg/kg) at -48, -24 and -1 h before IR. MR inactivation in myeloid cells (MR MyKO ) was achieved by crossing mice with the MR alleles flanked by loxP sites (MR f/f ) with mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the LysM promoter activity. In MR f/f and MR MyKO mice we induced renal IR of 22.5 min or sham surgery. The mice were followed-up during 4 weeks to test for AKI to CKD transition. In another set of mice, the macrophages were sorted from kidneys after 24 h of reperfusion and flow cytometry characterization or mRNA extraction was performed. Thyoglycolate elicited peritoneal macrophages were used for in vitro studies. Results: The progression of AKI to CKD after 4 weeks of renal ischemia in the untreated C57/B6 and MR f/f mice was characterized by a 50% increase in plasma creatinine, a 2-fold increase in the mRNA levels of TGF-β and fibronectin as well as by severe tubule-interstitial fibrosis. The mice that received finerenone or MR MyKO mice were protected against these alterations. Increased expression of M2-anti-inflamatory markers in kidney-isolated macrophages from finerenone-treated or MR MyKO mice was observed. The inflammatory population of Ly6C high macrophages was reduced by 50%. In peritoneal macrophages in culture, MR inhibition promoted increased IL-4 receptor expression and activation, facilitating macrophage polarization to an M2 phenotype. Conclusion: MR antagonism or myeloid MR deficiency facilitates macrophage polarization to a M2, anti-inflammatory phenotype after kidney IR, preventing maladaptive repair and chronic kidney fibrosis and dysfunction. MR inhibition acts through the modulation of IL-4 receptor signaling to facilitate macrophage phenotype switching.


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