Reproduction Abstracts

Introduction: Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders lead to ovarian failure and infertility. Nonetheless, the hierarchy of pathways leading to ovarian dysfunction is unknown. Presently, we studied the impact of obesity on ovarian innate immune response and steroidogenesis throughout the time.Materials and methods: An in vivo study was conducted on C57Bl/6J mice (n=8/group) fed a chow-diet versus high-fat diet during 4- (C-4w; H...

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid mediator that exerts a wide range of biological actions. LPA acting specifically through LPA receptor 1 (LPAR1) seems to be essential for the development of fibrosis in several organs. We determined whether the LPA–LPARs signalling system correlates to equine endometrial fibrosis (endometrosis). A total of 24 uteri from diestrus (n=6 for each category: I, II A, II B, and III according to Kenney and Doig classificat...

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a simple phospholipid and exerts various biological functions effecting on reproductive processes in rats, pigs, ewes and cow. LPA acts through three subtypes of Edg family G protein-coupled receptors (LPA1-3) and ‘non-Edg family’ LPA receptors (LPA4-6). The aim of the study was to determine LPA: i) concentrations and its receptors mRNA transcription, and ii) effect on P4 secretion from equine CL during the oestrous cycle and...

Introduction: In the absence of pregnancy, the resumption of a new estrous cycle is assured by functional and structural regression of the corpus luteum (CL). We have recently characterized the involvement of Nodal, a morphogen from transforming growth factor beta superfamily, on functional luteolysis in the mare (Galvao et al, 2015 Endocrinology, 157:858–871). Also, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) has been reported to mediate both functional and structural luteal regr...

Introduction: Pro-inflammatory cytokines are important mediators of the early phases of gestation. Among all these cytokines, the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays significant roles in pregnancy establishment. In many cell types, low concentrations of glucocorticoids (GCs) are known to enhance MIF secretion, but the effect of GCs on endometrial cells has not been elucidated. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental chemical that can alter reproductive physiology ...

The increasing exposure to environmental chemicals is a burden for human reproduction, and can alter endometrial functions and maternal–embryo interactions. The available in vitro endometrial models often fail to represent the complexity of cellular environment, cells shape and organization, and could give misleading results on the effects of environmental chemicals. Here, a tissue-engineered (3D) decidua was used as a toxicological model. Human stromal cells wer...

Programmed necrosis or necroptosis is an alternative form of cell death that is regulated by a caspase-independent pathway. The aim of the study was to determine if necroptosis participate in bovine CL luteolysis. In Experiment 1. the RIPK1 and RIPK3 mRNA transcription was determined in bovine i) CLs from early, developing, mid, late and regressed-stage (n=4 for each stage), ii) CLs after colpotomy collected within 0-, 2-, 4- and 12-h (each n</em...