scholarly journals Allogeneic Embryos Disregulate Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) and Its Receptor in the Porcine Endometrium During Implantation

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josep M. Cambra ◽  
Amaia Jauregi-Miguel ◽  
Manuel Alvarez-Rodriguez ◽  
Inmaculada Parrilla ◽  
Maria A. Gil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Inverse Relation ◽  
Conventional Breeding ◽  
Embryo Mortality ◽  
Maternal Tolerance ◽  
Implantation Period

Despite its advantages for pig breeding, embryo transfer (ET) has a major handicap: high embryo mortality during the pre- and implantation period, probably caused by divergent phenomena of tolerance between the immunologically unrelated (i.e., allogeneic) embryos and the recipient sow. Thus, to reach a similar maternal tolerance as in conventional breeding by artificial insemination (AI) would be the key to ET-success. For this reason, we studied the expression of the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) cytokine and its receptor in the pig endometrium during the implantation period (days 18 and 24) in sows subjected to ET (AL group) vs. post-cervical-AI controls (Hemi-AL group). Quantification of expression was performed at both mRNA (rt-qPCR) and protein (WB) levels. The expression of endometrial LIF on day 24 was considerably lower in ET than in AI pregnancies. Correlations between endometrial mRNA levels of LIF and LIF-R showed that, contrary to early AI-pregnancies, ET-pregnancies lack an inverse relation between cytokine and receptor levels. In conclusion, ET-pregnancies lack sufficient endometrial levels of LIF to develop adequate immunotolerance mechanisms to prevent the rejection of allogeneic ET-embryos.

Leukemia inhibitory factor regulates glucocorticoid receptor expression in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

2005 ◽  
Vol 289 (5) ◽  
pp. E857-E863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Kariagina ◽  
Svetlana Zonis ◽  
Mahta Afkhami ◽  
Dmitry Romanenko ◽  
Vera Chesnokova
Keyword(s):  
Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Inhibitory Factor ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Protein Levels

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine belonging to the gp130 family. LIF is induced peripherally and within the brain during inflammatory or chronic autoimmune diseases and is a potent stimulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here we investigated the role of LIF in mediating glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the HPA axis. LIF treatment (3 μg/mouse, ip) markedly decreased GR mRNA levels in murine hypothalamus (5-fold, P < 0.01) and pituitary (1.7-fold, P < 0.01) and downregulated GR protein levels. LIF decreased GR expression in murine corticotroph cell line AtT20 within 2 h, and this effect was sustained for 8 h after treatment. LIF-induced GR mRNA reduction was abrogated in AtT20 cells overexpressing dominant-negative mutants of STAT3, indicating that intact JAK-STAT signaling is required to mediate LIF effects on GR expression. Conversely, mice with LIF deficiency exhibited increased GR mRNA levels in the hypothalamus and pituitary (3.5- and 3.5-fold, respectively; P < 0.01 for both) and increased GR protein expression when compared with wild-type littermates. The suppressive effects of dexamethasone on GR were more pronounced in LIF-null animals. These data suggest that LIF maintains the HPA axis activation by decreasing GR expression and raise the possibility that LIF might contribute to the development of central glucocorticoid resistance during inflammation.

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