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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Steroids in the equine oviduct: synthesis, local concentrations and receptor expression

Hilde Nelis A , Julie Vanden Bussche B , Bartosz Wojciechowicz E , Anita Franczak E , Lynn Vanhaecke B , Bart Leemans A , Pieter Cornillie D , Luc Peelman C , Ann Van Soom A and Katrien Smits A F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Ghent University, Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

B Ghent University, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

C Ghent University, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Heidestraat 19 , 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

D Ghent University, Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.

E University of Warmia and Mazury, Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Oczapowskiego St. 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.

F Corresponding author. Email: katrien.smits@ugent.be

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 28(9) 1390-1404 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD14483
Submitted: 4 December 2014  Accepted: 20 January 2015   Published: 10 March 2015

Abstract

Steroids play an important role in mammalian reproduction and early pregnancy. Although systemic changes in steroid concentrations have been well documented, it is not clear how these correlate with local steroid concentrations in the genital tract. We hypothesised that, in the horse, the preimplantation embryo may be subjected to high local steroid concentrations for several days. Therefore, we measured progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 17β-oestradiol, testosterone and 17α-testosterone concentrations in equine oviductal tissue by ultra-HPLC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, and progesterone, 17β-oestradiol, oestrone and testosterone concentrations in oviduct fluid by radioimmunoassay, with reference to cycle stage and side of ovulation. Progesterone concentrations were high in oviductal tissue and fluid ipsilateral to the ovulation side during dioestrus, whereas other steroid hormone concentrations were not influenced by the side of ovulation. These results suggest that the high ipsilateral progesterone concentration is caused by: (1) contributions from the follicular fluid in the oviduct and diffusion of follicular fluid steroids after ovulation; (2) local transfer of steroids via blood or lymph; (3) local synthesis of progesterone in the oviduct, as evidenced by the expression of steroidogenic enzymes; and (4) a paracrine contribution from follicular cells. These data provide a basis for the study of the importance of endocrine and paracrine signalling during early embryonic development in the horse.

Additional keywords: aromatase, cytochrome P450scc, follicular fluid, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, mare, oviductal fluid, progesterone receptor, serum, steroidogenesis, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein.


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