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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anim Reprod Sci / Prostaglandin H synthase Type 2 is differentially expressed ...
Animal reproduction science2009; 117(1-2); 99-105; doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2009.03.014

Prostaglandin H synthase Type 2 is differentially expressed in endometrium based on pregnancy status in pony mares and responds to oxytocin and conceptus secretions in explant culture.

Abstract: The equine embryo must signal its presence to the uterus for pregnancy to continue to term. Mobility of the conceptus throughout the uterus is crucial for its survival, and this action presumably permits the conceptus to transmit its antiluteolytic signal to the endometrium. Studies were completed to establish whether this unidentified antiluteolytic signal targets prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PGHS2), a rate limiting enzyme in converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins (PGs). In the first study, quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the relative abundance of PGHS2 mRNA in endometrium derived from estrous cyclic and pregnant mares on day 14 post-ovulation. PGHS2 mRNA abundance was substantially greater in endometrium from estrous cyclic mares. Additional studies were completed to better understand PGHS2 in equine endometrium. An estrogen and progesterone treatment regimen in ovariectomized mares was developed as a test model for detecting endometrial PGHS2 mRNA. Also, exposing endometrial explants to conceptus secretions (conditioned culture medium) decreased PGHS2 mRNA abundance whereas exposing explants to oxytocin increased PGHS2 mRNA abundance. Exposure to conceptus secretions also decreased PGF2alpha concentrations in explant-conditioned medium whereas oxytocin supplementation increased PGF2alpha concentrations in medium. These data support the hypothesis that PGHS2 is a target for the antiluteolytic signal produced by equine conceptuses during early pregnancy. Also, the endometrial explant culture system used for these studies can serve as a model for identifying and characterizing the maternal recognition of pregnancy factor in equids.
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Publication Date: 2009-04-05 PubMed ID: 19443143DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2009.03.014Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research analyzes how the enzyme prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PGHS2), which plays a role in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, interacts with elements of pregnancy within horses, particularly how it responds to the signals sent by the equine embryo and the hormone oxytocin.

Objective and Experimental Approach

  • The study investigates whether the unidentified antiluteolytic signal sent by a horse’s embryo targets PGHS2. This signal is crucial for the embryo’s survival and successful pregnancy.
  • Experiments involve observing the levels of PGHS2 in both pregnant and cyclic estrous mares and how it reacts to hormone treatments of estrogen and progesterone as well as exposure to conceptus secretions and oxytocin.

Results from PGHS2 Levels Comparison

  • In the initial study, the amounts of PGHS2 in endometrium (tissue lining the uterus) derived from estrous cyclic (non-pregnant) and pregnant mares were analyzed using quantitative RT-PCR. The results showed that the abundance of PGHS2 was significantly higher in estrous cyclic mares.

Results from Hormone Treatments and Exposure to Conceptus Secretions

  • In subsequent studies, the team developed a way to detect PGHS2 in an endometrial test model using a regimen of estrogen and progesterone treatments in mares that had their ovaries removed.
  • The researchers found that when endometrial explants (tissue samples) were exposed to conceptus secretions, the levels of PGHS2 decreased.
  • Exposure to these conceptus secretions also led to a decrease in PGF2α, a type of prostaglandin, concentrations in the media the explants were grown in.
  • In contrast, exposing the endometrial explants to the hormone oxytocin led to an increase in both PGHS2 and PGF2α concentrations.

Conclusion and Relevance

  • The outcomes of these experiments suggest that PGHS2 is indeed targeted by the antiluteolytic signal generated by equine embryos in early pregnancy.
  • The endometrial explant culture system used in this research can be utilised as a model for understanding and identifying how the horse’s body recognizes the factor for pregnancy.

Cite This Article

APA
Ealy AD, Eroh ML, Sharp DC. (2009). Prostaglandin H synthase Type 2 is differentially expressed in endometrium based on pregnancy status in pony mares and responds to oxytocin and conceptus secretions in explant culture. Anim Reprod Sci, 117(1-2), 99-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2009.03.014

Publication

Animal reproduction science
ISSN: 1873-2232
NlmUniqueID: 7807205
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 117
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 99-105

Researcher Affiliations

Ealy, Alan D
  • Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Eroh, Michelle L
    Sharp, Daniel C

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Culture Media, Conditioned
      • Dinoprost / analysis
      • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
      • Endometrium / enzymology
      • Female
      • Gene Expression / drug effects
      • Gestational Age
      • Horses / metabolism
      • Oxytocin / pharmacology
      • Pregnancy
      • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / genetics
      • RNA, Messenger / analysis
      • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
      • Tissue Culture Techniques / veterinary

      Citations

      This article has been cited 11 times.
      1. Lawson EF, Grupen CG, Baker MA, Aitken RJ, Swegen A, Pollard CL, Gibb Z. Conception and early pregnancy in the mare: lipidomics the unexplored frontier. Reprod Fertil 2022 Jan 1;3(1):R1-R18.
        doi: 10.1530/RAF-21-0104pubmed: 35350651google scholar: lookup
      2. Klein C, Bruce P, Hammermueller J, Hayes T, Lillie B, Betteridge K. Transcriptional profiling of equine endometrium before, during and after capsule disintegration during normal pregnancy and after oxytocin-induced luteostasis in non-pregnant mares. PLoS One 2021;16(10):e0257161.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257161pubmed: 34614002google scholar: lookup
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        doi: 10.3390/ani11071995pubmed: 34359123google scholar: lookup
      4. Swegen A. Maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare: does it exist and why do we care?. Reproduction 2021 May 5;161(6):R139-R155.
        doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0437pubmed: 33957605google scholar: lookup
      5. Smits K, Gansemans Y, Tilleman L, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Van De Velde M, Gerits I, Ververs C, Roels K, Govaere J, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Soom A. Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy in the Horse: Are MicroRNAs the Secret Messengers?. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Jan 9;21(2).
        doi: 10.3390/ijms21020419pubmed: 31936511google scholar: lookup
      6. Srikanth K, Park W, Lim D, Lee KT, Jang GW, Choi BH, Ka H, Park JE, Kim JM. Serial gene co-expression network approach to mine biological meanings from integrated transcriptomes of the porcine endometrium during estrous cycle. Funct Integr Genomics 2020 Jan;20(1):117-131.
        doi: 10.1007/s10142-019-00703-1pubmed: 31396752google scholar: lookup
      7. Bonometti S, Menarim BC, Reinholt BM, Ealy AD, Johnson SE. Growth factor modulation of equine trophoblast mitosis and prostaglandin gene expression. J Anim Sci 2019 Feb 1;97(2):865-873.
        doi: 10.1093/jas/sky473pubmed: 30535412google scholar: lookup
      8. Smits K, Willems S, Van Steendam K, Van De Velde M, De Lange V, Ververs C, Roels K, Govaere J, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Soom A. Proteins involved in embryo-maternal interaction around the signalling of maternal recognition of pregnancy in the horse. Sci Rep 2018 Mar 27;8(1):5249.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-23537-6pubmed: 29588480google scholar: lookup
      9. Aurich C, Budik S. Early pregnancy in the horse revisited - does exception prove the rule?. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2015;6:50.
        doi: 10.1186/s40104-015-0048-6pubmed: 26635959google scholar: lookup
      10. Bazer FW, Johnson GA. Early Embryonic Development in Agriculturally Important Species. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jun 26;14(13).
        doi: 10.3390/ani14131882pubmed: 38997994google scholar: lookup
      11. Rapacz-Leonard A, Leonard M, Chmielewska-Krzesińska M, Siemieniuch M, Janowski TE. The oxytocin-prostaglandins pathways in the horse (Equus caballus) placenta during pregnancy, physiological parturition, and parturition with fetal membrane retention. Sci Rep 2020 Feb 7;10(1):2089.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-59085-1pubmed: 32034259google scholar: lookup
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