• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.255-265
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• 2022

The cellular communication network factor (CCN) family proteins regulate many biological events such as angiogenesis, tumor growth, placentation, implantation, and embryogenesis. The expression and function of CCN1, CCN2, and CCN3 at the maternal-conceptus interface are established in humans and rodents, but little is known about the role of CCN4 to CCN6 in the reproductive organs in any other species. Several studies in transcriptome analysis in pigs have shown that the expression of CCN4 and CCN6 increases in the endometrium during early pregnancy. However, their expression, regulation, and function in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy have not been fully understood in pigs. Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of CCN4 and CCN6 during the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. We found that the levels of CCN4, but not CCN6, changed during the estrous cycle. The levels of CCN4 were greater during mid- to late pregnancy than in the early stage, and the levels of CCN6 were greatest on Day 15 of pregnancy. CCN4 and CCN6 were detected in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. CCN4 mRNA was mainly localized to epithelial cells, CCN6 mRNAs to epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium. In endometrial explant cultures, CCN4 expression was increased by progesterone, and CCN6 expression by interferon-𝛾. These results suggest that CCN4 and CCN6 may play roles in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the endometrial epithelial cell functions in pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제36권7호
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• pp.1034-1043
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• 2023

Objective: Two serine protease inhibitors, peptidase inhibitor 3 (PI3) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), play important roles in protease inhibition and antimicrobial activity, but their expression, regulation, and function at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs are not fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression and regulation of PI3 and SLPI in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-fetal interface in pigs. Methods: Endometrial tissues during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, conceptus tissues during early pregnancy, and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy were obtained, and the expression of PI3 and SLPI was analyzed. The effects of the steroid hormones estradiol-17β (E2) and progesterone (P4) on the expression of PI3 and SLPI were determined in endometrial explant cultures. Results: PI3 and SLPI were expressed in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with higher levels during mid to late pregnancy than during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Early-stage conceptuses and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy also expressed PI3 and SLPI. PI3 protein and SLPI mRNA were primarily localized to endometrial epithelia. In endometrial explant cultures, the expression of PI3 was induced by increasing doses of P4, and the expression of SLPI was induced by increasing doses of E2 and P4. Conclusion: These results suggest that the PI3 and SLPI expressed in the endometrium and conceptus tissues play an important role in antimicrobial activity for fetal protection against potential pathogens and in blocking protease actions to allow epitheliochorial placenta formation.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.77-81
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• 2004

Petroleum ether, benzene and alcohol extracts of seeds of C. juncea administered orally at the dose level of 25mg/100g body weight to adult female mice for 30 days, resulted in irregular estrous cycle with prolonged estrus and metaestrus and reduced diestrus and proestrus during the experimental period. Histological studies of the ovary indicate increases in the number of atretic follicles but decreases in the number of developing follicles, Graafian follicles and corpora lutea. The total cholesterol content of the ovary is increased, whereas ascorbic acid content is decreased. The weight of the uterus and its micrometric measurement in all experimental mice are increased significantly. The alcoholic extracts showed estrogenic activity in immature mice by early opening of the vagina, premature cornification of the vaginal epithilium and increases in uterine weight. However, alcohol extract of seeds of C. juncea was more effective in causing these changes compared to other extracts. After subjecting to preliminary phytochemical screenings alcohol extract showed positive; test for alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, flavones, phenols and tannins.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.67-74
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• 2024

Autotaxin (ATX), also known as ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 2 (ENPP 2), is an enzyme with lysophospholipase D activity that converts lysophosphatidylcholine into lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). One of the LPA receptors, LPA3, is positively and negatively regulated by progesterone and estrogen, respectively. Furthermore, ATX expression in the rat uterus could be under the control of estrous cycle. In the present study, we used young normal cycling rats for further assess the uterine ATX expression and localization by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In the RT-PCR study, ATX mRNA level at Metestrus (1.00±0.026 AU) was significantly higher than that at Proestrus (0.42±0.046 AU, p<0.001) and the level at Diestrus (0.75±0.107 AU, p<0.05) was significantly higher than that at Proestrus. Among the luminal epithelial cells, the order of the ATX signal intensities was Metestrus>Diestrus>Proestrus>Estrus. Among the myometrial cells, the order of the signal intensities was Diestrus>Proestrus>Estrus>Metestrus. Among the glandular epithelial cells, the order of the signal intensities was Proestrus>Estrus=Metestrus=Estrus. The present study indicates that expression and localization of uterine ATX may be under the control of sex steroids during the estrous cycle. Further studies on the ATX signaling-sex steroid relationship will be providing better understanding on in normal and pathophysiological state of uterus.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.49-55
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• 2004

Aquaporins(AQPs)유전자는 다양한 조직의 상피세포와 내피세포에 존재하며 다량의 물 이동을 조절하는 막성 단백질로서, 세포간 또는 세포막 사이의 물 이동에 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 발정기의 생쥐 자궁에서는 자궁내막세포의 증식과 함께 수화되는 특징을 보이며, 자궁내강으로 물이 이동되어 자궁내액의 점성이 낮아지는 현상이 나타난다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 생쥐의 발정주기 동안 자궁에서의 형태학적인 변화와 관련하여 AQP유전자가 물 이동의 매개체로서 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 추측하여, 생쥐 발정주기 동안에 AQP유전자의 발현 양상을 역전사 중합효소 연쇄반응을 통하여 관찰하였다. 또한, laser capture microdissection(LCf을 이용하여 자궁내 세포의 종류에 따른 AQP유전자의 발현 양상을 조사하였다. AQP-4 전령체는 발정주기의 proestrus와 estrus 시기에 발현량이 유의하게 증가하는 반면, AQP-8 전령체는 동일한 시기에 유의하게 감소하는 것으로 관찰되었다. 또한, LCM 기법을 통해서 AQP-4와 -8 전령체가 자궁기질세포보다 자궁내막세포에서 강하게 발현이 유도됨을 관찰하였다. 결과적으로, 생쥐 자궁에서 AQP-4와 -8유전자가 발정주기에 따라 발현량이 변화하는 것으로 보아 난소내 호르몬인 estrogen과 progesterone에 의해 조절될 가능성이 있으며, proestrus와 estrus 시기에 자궁내강으로 자궁내액을 수송하는데 중요한 역할을 할 것으로 사료된다.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.833-841
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• 1995

젖소 16두를 대상으로 발정주기중 황체의 크기와 progesterone 농도 사이의 상관관계를 알아보기 위하여 황체의 크기를 초음파 진단장치로 측정하였다. 검사우 16두중 9두는 낭종양 황체(corpus luteum with cavity) 나머지 7두는 정상 황체 (corpus luteum without cavity)를 가지고 있었다. Progesterone 농도측정을 위한 우유의 채취 및 초음파 검사는 배란일 부터 배란후 12일 까지는 매 2일 간격으로 그리고 14일 이후부터 다음 배란일 까지는 매일 실시하였다. 발정주기중 황체의 크기와 progesterone 농도는 낭종양 황체 및 정상 황체를 가지고 있는 소들 사이에서 유의성 있는 차이가 없었다. 황체의 크기와 progesterone 농도 사이의 상관관계는 황체발육기(Days 2~8)때 낭종양 황체를 가지고 있는 소가 0.71(p<0.0001), 정상 황체를 가지고 있는 소는 0.74 (p<0.0001) 이었고, 황체퇴행기 (Days -6~0) 때는 0.73(p<0.0001)과 0.76(p<0.0001) 이었으며 전체적으로는 0.70(p<0.0001) 이었다. 이처럼 발정주기중 황체의 크기와 progesterone 농도 사이에는 밀접한 상관관계가 있어서 초음파 진단장치에 의한 황체크기의 측정은 progesterone 농도를 추측할 수 있는 수단으로 이용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제25권8호
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• pp.1102-1116
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• 2012

During embryo implantation in pigs, the uterine endometrium undergoes dramatic morphological and functional changes accompanied with dynamic gene expression. Since the greatest amount of embryonic losses occur during this period, it is essential to understand the expression and function of genes in the uterine endometrium. Although many reports have studied gene expression in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, the pattern of global gene expression in the uterine endometrium in response to the presence of a conceptus (embryo/fetus and associated extraembryonic membranes) has not been completely determined. To better understand the expression of pregnancy-specific genes in the endometrium during the implantation period, we analyzed global gene expression in the endometrium on day (D) 12 and D15 of pregnancy and the estrous cycle using a microarray technique in order to identify differentially expressed endometrial genes between D12 of pregnancy and D12 of the estrous cycle and between D15 of pregnancy and D15 of the estrous cycle. Results showed that the global pattern of gene expression varied with pregnancy status. Among 23,937 genes analyzed, 99 and 213 up-regulated genes and 92 and 231 down-regulated genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the uterine endometrium on D12 and D15 of pregnancy compared to D12 and D15 of the estrous cycle, respectively. Functional annotation clustering analysis showed that those DEGs included genes involved in immunity, steroidogenesis, cell-to-cell interaction, and tissue remodeling. These findings suggest that the implantation process regulates differential endometrial gene expression to support the establishment of pregnancy in pigs. Further analysis of the genes identified in this study will provide insight into the cellular and molecular bases of the implantation process in pigs.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.83-88
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• 2000

본 연구는 한우에 있어서 초음파기기를 이용하여 반복적으로 생체내 난자를 회수시 난자회수에 미치는 영향과 시술후의 난소 유착과 같은 부작용을 조사하기 위하여 실시한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 난포란의 채란빈도에 따른 채란수에서는 주 2회 시술시 난포수는 8.7$\pm$4.2개로 주 1회 시술의 10.2$\pm$6.1개보다 다소 적었으나 유의적인 차이는 인정되지 않았으며, 채란수도 각각 4.1$\pm$3.4개 및 4.3$\pm$2.9개로 유의적인 차이가 인정이 되지 않았다(P＜0.05). 2. 반복적으로 9회 난포란을 채란한 경우 40개의 난소중 8개 (20%)가 유착이 발생하였으며 1~3 채란시 3개 (37.5%), 4~6 채란시 4개 (50%) 7~9회 채란시 1개(12.5%)가 유착이 발생하였다. 3. 반복적인 난포란 채란후 난소의 유착 여부에 따른 공란우의 발정주기를 조사한 결과 난소 유착을 보인 공란우의 8두중 7두(87.5%) 25일 이상의 장발정주기를 보였으며, 유착이 일어나지 않은 12두 중 정상 발정주기는 6두(50.0%), 단 발정주기는 1두(8.3%), 장발정주기는 5두(41.7%)였다.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.61-68
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• 1980

발정주기에 EK라서 생쥐자궁의 alkaline phosphatase와 transport ATPases의 활성변화를 알아보기 위하여 정량적으로 분석하였다. 발정주기의 각 시기에 있어서 이 효소활성들의 비율은 대체로 그 양상이 서로 비슷하나, 발정기의 $K^+$-dependent와 $Na^+, K^+$-activated ATPases를 제외한 다른 효소들의 활성은 다른 어떤 시기보다도 유의하게 (p<0.025) 높았다. 즉, $K^+$-dependent와 $Na^+, K^+$-activated ATPases의 활성은 발정간기에서 발정기에 이르는 동안 무시할 정도이고, 다만 발정후기에 약간의 활성(0.04$\\sim$0.05 $\\mu$M/mg protein/hr), 총활성의 6$\\sim$7%)이 나타났다. 한편, 발정기에서 $Mg^++$-dependent phosphatase, transport ATPase와 alkaline phosphatase의 활성들은 급속히 현저하게 증가하였으며 각각 0.69(35%), 0.42(21%), 1.58(79%)였다. Alkaline phosphatase는 전 발정주기를 통해 0.60$\\sim$1.58(79$\\sim$90%)의 활성을 보여 그 주종을 이루었다. Alkaline phosphatase의 활성중에는 $Mg^++$-dependent의 것이 총활성의 12$\\sim$16%로 추정되었다. 그러므로 $K^+$-dependent와 $Na^+$-activated ATPases는 발정기 때에 자궁액의 누적을 조절하는 요인이 아니고 발정후기에는 자궁상피 속으로 내액을 재흡수하는 요인인 것으로 짐작되며, EH한 $Mg^++$-dependent phosphatase, transport ATPase 그리고 alkaline phosphatase는 생쥐의 자궁 상피세포에서부터 내액을 분지하는 데에 밀접히 관련되어 있는 것으로 사려된다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.7-13
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• 1980

In the previous experiment, authors have shown that during the latter half of estrous cycle there was an increase in plasma testosterone level in the rats stimulated with hCG. To determine the physiologic significance of elevated plasma testosterone, changes of the plasma concentrations of TeBG and testosterone following hCG stimulation were analyzed in the rats having a regular 5 day cycle. The rats were divided into three groups; the control, the rats stimulated with single hCG on the day of proestrus and stimulated with hCG throughout the entire cycle. Blood samples were obtained once a day for an estrous cycle and analyzed for the binding capacity of TeBG using ammonium sulphate precipitation method and testosterone concentration by means of radioimmunoassay. Followings were the results; 1) There was no significant variation in the binding capacity of TeBG in peripheral blood during the estrous cycle of the control rats. 2) No cyclic variation in the binding capacity of TeBG was observed in the rats stimulated with single hCG on proestrus. although the levels tended to be higher in the rats with stimulation than in the control rats. 3) Continual stimulation of hCG produced a marked increase in the binding capacity of TeBG especially on the day of metaestrus. 4) The changes in the plasma level of testosterone followed the same basic pattern seen in the TeBG binding capacity. 5) From above results, the followings were suggested. a. hCG related increase of the binding capacity of TeBG is probably secondary to a modest increase in estrogen as well. b. hCG related increase of plasma testosterone in female rats is not entirely due to excess production rather in part due to decreased metabolism induced by the rise in TeBG. c. It seems likely that most of elevated testosterone shown in the rat stimulated with hCG is bound to TeBG and only small portion is unbound form which influence cellular activity. It is rather possible that an increase in TeBG could augment estrogen activity.