• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.105-111
• /
• 1999

The effects of exogenous spleen cells on the progesterone and insulin like-growth factor-I (IGF-I) secretions in luteal cells were studied by using in vitro luteal cell culture system in the Hanwoo luteal cells. The corpora lutea(CL) were collected and pooled from the Korean native cattle(Hanwoo) ovaries from a local slaughter house. After enzymatic dissociation, combined large and small luteal cells(LLC and SLC)(1.0$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$) were incubated in D-MEM media containing antibiotics and 10% FCS. Spleen cells (1.0$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$) obtained from castrated adult male Hanwoo were added to luteal cells and co-cultured for 24 h in the absence or presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) (100 ng). Progesterone contents from luteal tissues were increased at CL-3 stage during each stage of estrous cycle. Progesterone secretion from luteal cell culture by the presence of LH (100 ng/$m\ell$) was positively stimulated compared with control. However, progesterone secretion was not changed by the addition of 5, 10 and 20% of spleen cells in the absence of LH. Co-culture of luteal cells with 10% of spleen cells in the presence of LH(l00ng/$m\ell$) significantly. enhanced after 24 h of culture. IGF-Isecretion from in vitro luteal cells co-culture by the addition of spleen cells (5%, 10% and 20%) was not significantly effected. Besides, in the presence of LH (100ng/$m\ell$), IGF-Isecretions from luteal cells by addition of spleen cells were higher than control media. However, LH alone significantly increased IGF-I secretion at 24 h of culture. These data provide the demonstrate that spleen cells can enhance LH action so as to stimulate progesterone secretion from Hanwoo luteal cells but have no effect to stimulate IGF-I secretion.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 2001

The ectopic expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH and luteinizing hormone(LH) in several tissues is a quite intriguing phenomenon. Recently, the presence of GnRH and its receptor has been clearly demonstrated in rodents and human mammary gland. In this context, one can postulate that the presence of local circuit composed of GnRH and LH in the gland. The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether there is a correlation between the LH expression in rat mammary gland and physiological status during the process of mammary differentiation. LH contents in mammary gland from cycling to weaning rats were measured by radioimmunoassay(RIA). In cycling rats, changes of the LH level in both serum and mammary gland showed similar pattern as the highest level in proestrus and the lowest level in diestrus II stage. While the serum LH levels were fluctuated from pregnant through involution stage, a sharp decline of mammary LH contents was observed in the lactating rats. This decrement was recovered in involuting rats to the level of proestrus stage. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analyses demonstrated that the transcriptional activities of the mammary LH and GnRH were increased from diestrus I stage to estrus stage, and the increased levels were maintained in pregnant, lactation and involution stages. To test the hypothesis that the alteration in mammary LH expression might be steroid-dependant, ovariectomy(OVX) and steroid supplement model was employed. As expected, supplement of estradiol(E$_2$) after OVX remarkably decreased serum LH level compared to that in serum from vehicle-only treated rats. Likewise, administration of E$_2$ significantly reduced the mammary LH content. The present study demonstrated that (i) the LH expression in mammary gland could be altered by some physiological parameters such as estrous cycle, pregnancy, lactation and involution, and (ii) ovarian steroid especially estrogen seems to be one of major endocrine factors which are responsible for regulation of mammary LH expression.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.225-231
• /
• 2011

The objective of the present study was to determine the progesterone levels that effects on the pulsatile and surge modes of FSH secretion. In previous studies we have shown that LH surge occurred in the follicular levels of progesterone, whereas there was no surge mode secretion of LH in either the sub luteal or luteal levels of progesterone. LH pulsatile frequencies were high in two groups such as follicular level and sub luteal level. But in the luteal level of progesterone the pulsatile pattern of LH were strongly suppressed. Namely, sub luteal levels of progesterone, around 1 ng/ml, completely suppressed the LH surge but did not affect the pulsatile frequency of LH secretion. Because of this we hypothesized that the two secretory patterns of FSH are similar to that of LH. Long-term ovariectomized Shiba goats that had received implants of estradiol capsules and three different progesterone silastic packet inducing follicular, subluteal and luteal levels of progesterone were divided into three groups such as non-P, low-P and high-P group. Blood samples were collected daily throughout the experiment for the analysis of gonadal steroid hormone levels and at 10-min intervals for 8 h on Days 0, 3, and 7 (Day 0: just before progesterone treatment) for analysis of the pulsatile frequency of FSH secretion. Then estradiol was infused into the jugular vein of all animals at a rate of 3 ${\mu}/h$ for 16 h on Day 8 to determine whether an FSH surge was induced. Blood samples were collected every 2 h from 4 h before the start of the estradiol infusion until 48 h after the start of the infusion. In each group, the mean ${\pm}$ SEM concentration after progesterone implant treatment was 3.3 ${\pm}$ 0.1 ng/ml for the high P group, 1.1 ${\pm}$ 0.1 ng/ml for the low P group, and < 0.1 ng/ml for the non-P group, concentrations similar to the luteal levels, subluteal levels, and follicular phase levels of the normal estrous cycle, respectively. The FSH pulse frequency was maintained highly in all groups on Day 0, Day 3 and Day 7. An FSH surge was induced in all 4 cases of the Non-P group. In the High P and Low P groups, the plasma concentrations of FSH remained low until 48 h after the start of estradiol infusion, and no occurrence of FSH surge was found in any of the animals. The results of this study not only confirm that the pulsatile patterns of FSH were not inhibited strongly relative to LH, they also suggest that some other mechanism and factor may be controlling the FSH secretion.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.187-208
• /
• 2000

By the activation of ovary hormone, many morphological changes occur in the epithelial cell lines and muscle cells in rat uterus. These two cells in uterus are important to the implantation of embryo, maintaining pregnancy and starting parturition. One important change associated with the morphological change of these two cells in uterus is the change on prostaglandin(PG) metabolism. Its presence and synthesis in endometriurn and myometrium in uterus affects estrous cycle and the start of embryo implantation in uterus. It also performs as an important modulator in parturition. So the abnormally weak expression of PG causes difficulty during labor and over-expression causes pre-term labor. PG biosynthesis starts from either free or liberated arachidonic acids from membrane phospholipid by phospholipase. Such arachidonic acids are converted into PG catalyzed by Cyclooxygenase. Under normal physiological condition, Cyclooxygenase-1(COX-1) having 602 units of amino acids controls the synthesis of PG. It acts as a local hormone regulating vasomodulation of blood flow, flexible muscle movement, increasing the blood permeability and contributing the protective role in preserving integrity of the stomach lining and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced by the inflammation, pregnancy and increased its expression until parturition. Lipid metabolite like PG is located in uterine and expression of COX-2 increased with pregnancy. Increased expression of COX proteins in epithelial cells and myometrial cells are told to increase the muscle contractility in uterus but decreased right after the labor in rat. It is a good sign indicating that COX proteins are deeply related to the start of labor. Currently, Several studies report the use of PG and COX-2 inhibitor as medication for controlled abortion or to prevent pre-term labor but they entail various side-effects. Our study proposed to suggest use of acupuncture as an another mediator to control abortion or pre-term labor without causing unnecessary side-effects by those medicines. Two acupuncture sites, LI-4 & SP-6 were selected due to their known efficacy. From the immunohistochemical staining of COX-2, normal expression of COX-2 protein in nonpregnant SD rat's uterus revealed that COX-2 protein was primarily detected in the lumina epithelial lining and in the epithelial cell lining contacting the stromal cells. High resolution optical microscopic scanning revealed distinguishable staining in the myometrial mucosa. LI-4 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed strong expression for COX-2 in endometrium contacted with lumina epithelial lining of rat uterus and in myometrial mucosa. Stromal cells showed more staining than untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus and stronger staining in stromal cells contacting myometrial layer compared to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus. SP-6 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed weak expression for COX-2 in myometrial layers and stromal cells but no staining was visible in lumina epitheliai and glandular epithelial cells. Few stromal cells and myometrial mucosa were positively stained for COX-2. Pregnant SD rat's uterus was also immunostained for COX-2 expression after 18 days of pregnancy. Unlike to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus, luminal epithelial cells were not positively stained for COX-2 but stronger staining for COX-2 was revealed in stromal cells. LI-4 acupunctured SD rat's uterus had very strong expression of COX-2 in luminal epithelial lining. Few stromal cells showed stronger positive COX-2 staining and myometrial layers also showed more expression than untreated pregnant rat. SP-6 acupuncture administered pregnant SD rat's uterus showed positive expression of COX-2 in epithelial cells of luminal mucosa layer but weaker than that of LI-4 acupuncture treatment's case. However, strong positive staining was revealed in stromal mucosa and myometrial layers. Virgin SD rat's uterus motility index during LI-4 acupuncture was 66.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0197) compared to its motility before the acupuncture treatment but the motility index was slighdy elevated up to 79.58 % (Prob〉T = 0.1175) after the acupuncture. During the SP-6 acupuncture treatment for 30 minutes, uterus motility index was 90.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.1832) showing lesser decrement but consequently reached similar motility index decreasal to 79.95 % (Prob〉T = 0.0215) after the acupuncture treatment as LI-4 showed. LI-4 acupuncture tend to be a quick treatment to reducing the uterus motility in a virgin rat but eventually both two acupuncture administration created very similar reduction of uterus motility seeing the index after the both acupunctures. The uterus movement monitored during the LI-4 acupuncture administered for 30 minutes, Pregnant SD rat showed decreased motility down to 77.90 % (Prob〉 T = 0.0076) compared to uterus motility before the acupuncture and it continuously decreased down to 71.81 %(Prob〉T = 0.0214) after the removal of needle. The statistical analysis using paired t-test showed significance difference for both two motility indexs at =0.05. SP-6 acupuncture administered to pregnant SD rat also had similar pattern of decreasing uterus motility index down to 74.70 % (Prob〉T = 0.1730) during the initial 30 minutes acupuncture administration and it was continuously lowered to 71.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0155) after the acupuncture. The paired t-test resuit for SP-6 suggest prompt response of uterus motility index to the SP-6 acupuncture treatment but consequently reached same level of inducing the motility reduction as LI-4 at =0.05 level.