Prostaglandin production by horse embryos and the effect of co-culture of embryos with endometrium from pregnant mares.

This research investigates the production of prostaglandin by horse embryos and the effect of co-culturing embryos with endometrial tissue from pregnant mares. It suggests that co-culturing significantly impacts the concentrations of PGF in the culture medium and that horse embryos release all three prostaglandins observed during incubation.

Sample Collection and Experiment Setup

• The researchers gathered the embryos, endometrial biopsies, and uterine lavage fluid from both pregnant and non-pregnant mares exactly two weeks after ovulation.
• These embryos underwent culture for a duration of 20.5 hours both with and without endometrial tissue from pregnant mares.
• The endometrial tissue itself was also cultivated alone for comparison.

PGF Concentrations in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Mares

• The study initially found that the endometrial content of prostaglandin F (PGF) tends to be higher in non-pregnant mares, although the distinction was not statistically significant.
• However, the release of PGF from the tissue during the culture process was identical for both pregnant and non-pregnant mares.
• Additionally, uterine lavage (flush) fluid from non-pregnant mares also exhibited slight tendencies to have higher concentrations of PGF.

Impact of Co-culturing on PGF Concentrations

• Interestingly, when the embryos were co-cultured with endometrial tissue from pregnant mares, there was a statistically significant reduction in the concentrations of PGF found in the medium.
• This suggests that the interaction between the embryo and the endometrial tissue can alter the levels of certain compounds in the surrounding medium.

Tissue Concentrations and Prostaglandin Production

• The concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF-1 alpha) in the endometrial samples were similar regardless of the mare’s pregnancy status.
• Moreover, the study found that the production of prostaglandins was not affected by the presence of an embryo during the incubation period.
• Surprisingly, it was observed that horse embryos released all three prostaglandins (PGF, PGE-2, and 6-keto-PGF-1 alpha) during the incubation period of 20.5 hours.

Concluding Thoughts

• This research provides useful insights into the practices of embryo culture in mares, offering substantial evidence that co-culturing significantly impacts the concentrations of certain compounds, which can potentially influence the outcome of the culture.
• Although these findings are specific to horse embryos, this research could act as a foundation for future studies involving different species and different co-culturing methods.