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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 21(7)

Effect of undernutrition on the uterine environment during maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep

C. Sosa A C D , J. A. Abecia A , M. Carriquiry B , M. I. Vázquez A , A. Fernández-Foren C , M. Talmon C , F. Forcada A and A. Meikle C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Veterinary Faculty, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.

B Department of Animal Production and Pastures, Agronomy Faculty, Av. Garzón 780, 12900 Montevideo, Uruguay.

C Laboratory of Nuclear Techniques, Veterinary Faculty, Lasplaces 1550, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.

D Corresponding author. Email: cecis@unizar.es

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 21(7) 869-881 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD09051
Submitted: 6 March 2009  Accepted: 20 May 2009   Published: 27 July 2009

Abstract

The effects of pregnancy and undernutrition on endometrial gene expression were investigated in ewes fed all or half their maintenance requirements and killed on Day 14 of pregnancy or of the oestrous cycle. The endometrial expression of progesterone, oestrogen, oxytocin and interferon receptors (PR, ERα, OXTR and IFNAR, respectively), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and -II, and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) was studied by immunohistochemistry or real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The luminal epithelium of cyclic control ewes was devoid of PR staining and had relatively high levels of ERα, OXTR, COX-2 and IFNAR2. The presence of a conceptus decreased the in vitro uterine secretion of prostaglandin (PG) F2α and the expression of IFNAR2 in most cell types, and increased the gene expression of IGF-I and IGF-II. Undernutrition tended to increase ERα protein and gene, but decreased in vitro uterine secretion of PGE2 and the gene expression of IFNAR2 in cyclic ewes. There was no effect of undernutrition on pregnancy rates or the number of conceptuses recovered. Consistent with this, undernutrition of pregnant ewes did not have any effect on uterine gene expression. Moreover, in cases where changes were observed in cyclic ewes, these changes were negated when a conceptus was present.


Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to I. Sartore and I. Bizera for assistance with immunohistochemical analyses. The anti-OXTR antibody was a kind gift from Rohto Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan). This study was supported financially by grants from Diputación General de Aragón (DGA, A26) and Comisión Interministerial de Investigaciones Cientificas (CICYT, AGL2004–00432/GAN), Spain.


References

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