Inhibitors of apoptosis: expression and regulation in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface during pregnancy in pigs

Abstract The objective was to determine the effect of hCG (3,300 IU) administered on days 0 and/or 5 of the estrous cycle on total luteal area (TLA) and circulating concentrations of progesterone (P4) in recipient heifers. All heifers (n = 232; BCS = 3.3 ± 0.2) were synchronized with a 5d CIDR-Synch protocol (d-8: used CIDR inserted; d-3: CIDR removed and PGF2α treatment; d0: 100µg GnRH or hCG). Heifers were randomly assigned to four treatments: control, hCGd0, hCGd5, and hCGd0&5. Controls were treated with GnRH on d0, while hCGd0 received hCG on d0. hCGd5 heifers were treated with GnRH on d0 and hCG on d5, while hCGd0&5 received hCG on d0 and 5. Ovaries were scanned by ultrasound on d0, 5, and 12. Blood was collected on d0, 5, 7, and 12. Synchronization rate (94%) did not differ (P = 0.94) by treatment. Treatment differences were only tested in synchronized heifers (n = 218). Proportion of heifers with 1 or 2+ CL on d5 did not differ (P = 0.10) for hCG d0 treatments (hCGd0 + hCGd0&5) vs. GnRH d0 treatments (controls + hCGd5). However, heifers treated with hCG on d0 had greater (P < 0.01) TLA and P4 on d5 vs. treatments with GnRH on d0 (311 ± 13 vs. 257 ± 9 mm2; and 2.39 ± 0.15 vs. 1.90 ± 0.09 ng/mL). Ovulation rate for d5 hCG did not differ (P = 0.63) for hCGd5 vs. hCGd0&5 (93 vs. 84%). Controls had the lowest serum P4 on d7 and 12. In contrast, hCGd0&5 had the highest serum P4 on d7 (Table 1). Serum P4 on d7 did not differ for hCGd0 vs. hCGd5. On d12, serum P4 and TLA were not different for hCGd5 vs. hCGd0&5. These data indicate that hCG can be used on d0 to induce an increase in serum P4 on d5 compared to GnRH. However, only heifers treated with hCG on d5 achieved mean serum P4 > 8ng/mL.

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The In Vitro Effect of Steroid Hormones, Arachidonic Acid, and Kinases Inhibitors on Aquaporin 1, 2, 5, and 7 Gene Expression in the Porcine Uterine Luminal Epithelial Cells during the Estrous Cycle

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10040832 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 832

Author(s):

Damian Tanski ◽

Agnieszka Skowronska ◽

Malgorzata Tanska ◽

Ewa Lepiarczyk ◽

Mariusz T. Skowronski

Keyword(s):

Arachidonic Acid ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Steroid Hormones ◽

Estrous Cycle ◽

Kinase Inhibitor ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Mapk Kinase ◽

Vitro Effect ◽

Luminal Epithelial Cells

Aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins, which play an important role in water homeostasis in the uterus. According to the literature, the expression of aquaporins in reproductive structures depends on the local hormonal milieu. The current study investigated the effect of selected PKA kinase inhibitor H89 and MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059, on the expression of AQP1, 2, 5, and 7, and steroid hormones (E2), progesterone (P4), and arachidonic acid (AA) in the porcine endometrium on days 18–20 and 2–4 of the estrous cycle (the follicular phase where estrogen and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are secreted increasingly in preparation for estrus and the luteal phase where the ovarian follicles begin the process of luteinization with the formation of the corpus luteum and progesterone secretion, respectively). The luminal epithelial cells were incubated in vitro in the presence of the aforementioned factors. The expression of mRNA was determined by the quantitative real-time PCR technique. In general, in Experiment 1, steroid hormones significantly increased expression of AQP1, 2, and 5 while arachidonic acid increased expression of AQP2 and AQP7. On the other hand, MAPK kinase inhibitor significantly decreased the expression of AQP1 and 5. In Experiment 2, E2, P4, or AA combined with kinase inhibitors differentially affected on AQPs expression. E2 in combination with PKA inhibitor significantly decreased expression of AQP1 but E2 or P4 combined with this inhibitor increased the expression of AQP5 and 7. On the contrary, E2 with PD98059 significantly increased AQP5 and AQP7 expression. Progesterone in combination with MAPK kinase inhibitor significantly downregulated the expression of AQP5 and upregulated AQP7. Arachidonic acid mixed with H89 or PD98059 caused a decrease in the expression of AQP5 and an increase of AQP7. The obtained results indicate that estradiol, progesterone, and arachidonic acid through PKA and MAPK signaling pathways regulate the expression of AQP1 and AQP5 in the porcine luminal epithelial cells in the periovulatory period.

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The fertility assessment of normal cyclic Wistar rats following the administration of methanolic extract of Portulaca oleracea: an experimental study

Middle East Fertility Society Journal ◽

10.1186/s43043-020-00048-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Izuchukwu Azuka Okafor ◽

Uchenna Somtochukwu Nnamah ◽

Jude Nnaka

Keyword(s):

Estrous Cycle ◽

Adult Female ◽

Wistar Rats ◽

Major Effect ◽

Reproductive Hormones ◽

Portulaca Oleracea ◽

High Dose ◽

Methanolic Extracts ◽

Cycle Arrest ◽

Female Wistar Rats

Abstract Background Purslane is a widely distributed shrub used for the treatment of different ailments. The increasing reproductive complications associated with herbal treatments have led to the need to critically evaluate the safety and/or reproductive potentials of commonly used plant extracts. This study investigated the reproductive effect of methanolic extracts of Portulaca oleracea (MEPO) in adult female Wistar rats. Results Group C showed a significant decrease both in relative ovarian weight (p = 0.000), and relative uterine weight (p = 0.037), when compared with the control. There were no significant (p ˃ 0.05) changes in the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and estradiol. When compared to the control, groups B and C showed abnormal estrous cycle and cycle arrest especially at the metestrus phase with mild congestion of a few blood vessels in the ovary and uterus. Conclusions MEPO may possess some anti-fertility effect, as it disrupts the estrous cycle of adult female Wistar rats; although it has no major effect on the reproductive hormones, uterus, and ovarian histology of adult female Wistar rats. However, high dose consumption should be taken with precaution.

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Plasma level and expression of visfatin in the porcine hypothalamus during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-88103-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tadeusz Kaminski ◽

Marta Kiezun ◽

Ewa Zaobidna ◽

Kamil Dobrzyn ◽

Barbara Wasilewska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Plasma ◽

Estrous Cycle ◽

Early Pregnancy ◽

Energy Homeostasis ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Hormone Synthesis ◽

Energy Sensor ◽

Gene And Protein Expression ◽

Hormonal Milieu

AbstractVisfatin appears to be an energy sensor involved in the regulation of female fertility, which creates a hormonal link integrating the control of energy homeostasis and reproduction. This study evaluates the expression levels of visfatin gene and protein in selected areas of the porcine hypothalamus responsible for gonadotropin-releasing hormone synthesis: the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and preoptic area (POA), and visfatin concentrations in the blood plasma. The tissue samples were harvested from gilts on days 2–3, 10–12, 14–16, and 17–19 of the estrous cycle, and on days 10–11, 12–13, 15–16, 27–28 of pregnancy. Visfatin was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells creating both studied hypothalamic structures. The study demonstrated that visfatin gene and protein expression in MBH and POA depends on hormonal status related to the phase of the estrous cycle or early pregnancy. Blood plasma concentrations of visfatin during the estrous cycle were higher on days 2–3 in relation to other studied phases of the cycle, while during early pregnancy, the highest visfatin contents were observed on days 12–13. This study demonstrated visfatin expression in the porcine hypothalamus and its dependence on the hormonal milieu related to the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.

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