• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.301-307
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• 1997

These studies were performed to provide some basic informations for developing an automatic system in dairy farming cattle in order that the farmers may easily and automatically detect the maintenance of pregnancy and the fact of abortion of the pregnant cows and also to find out the diseased animals with fever. As a method of automatical detection of the maintenance of pregnancy or the fact of abortion, weighing the pregnant cows was conducted from one month-pregnancy to the term using a digital balance. From the first to the 3rd month of pregnancy the body weight of dairy cows was slowly increased (less than 2% per month), then, relatively high increase (3.4% -4.3% per month) from the fourth to the seventh month followed by decrease (3.3%) in the 8th month and very low increase (0.8-0.9%) from the 9th month to the term were shown, resulting in increase of 128.8 kg (25.05%) of body weight to be compared with the first weight. More than 107, increase of body weight to be compared with the first month-weight was denoted from the 61th month of pregnancy and more than 20% increase from the 7th or the 8th month of pregnancy as wells consequently it was presumed that detection of the maintenance of pregnancy is possible from the 4th or the 5th month of pregnancy. It was possible to diagnose a cow aborted at the 6th month by continual weighing the cow from the 1st month of pregnancy. The calved cows showed considerably higher decrease of body weight even in the third week after parturition (p<0.01)to be compared with the body weight near to the term (81.8-102.0 kg, 14-16% decrease). During the same period of 8months, the pregnant cows gained 127.4 kg (24.78% increase), whereas the non-pregnant cows gained 33.0 kg (0.71% increase) to be compared with the first weight showing considerably higher increase of body weight gain in the pregnant cows than the non-pregnant cows (p<0.01). The statistics of body temperatures of dairy cattle were collected from three clinics including the Teaching Hospital of Chonbuk University and the diseases were classified simply by the major symptoms manifested, denoting the highest temperature in respiratory disease ($39.8{\circ}C$) and the lowest in alimentary disease ($39.6{\circ} C$). These informations of body temperatures were expected to be of value for early and automatical detection of the diseased animals with fever when automatic machinery would be established. The results of periodic weighing the body weight of pregnant cows while milking were also expected to be of great use for the farmers to detect the maintenance of pregnancy and the fact of abortion when the automatic system is established in the near future.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 2011

This study is a bibliographic search about completion and maintenance of pregnancy. In oriental medicine, there is a proper temper and appearance that encourages optimal pregnancy. Invigoration of sperm is important for males to have descendants, and regulation of menstrual disturbances is necessary for female to have descendants. It is not good for both male and female to engage in sexual intercourse too often. Male and female shall have sexual intercourse. When they feel the connection, mind and body are sound, weather is fine, and they take position at ease. Previous studies on pregnancy describe minutely process of fetus's growth until the fifth month, and suggest the rules of fetus's health according to fetal development. Therefore, it is important to prevent acquiring diseases during pregnancy. Female needs to be careful and restful in the early stage of pregnancy. In the late period of pregnancy, she needs to be active.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.365-369
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• 1999

Interferon tau (IFN$\tau$), the pregnancy recognition signal in ruminants, suppresses transcription of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene in the endometrial luminal (LE) and superficial glandular epithelium (sGE) to prevent oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression and pulsatile release of luteolytic prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (PGF), Interferon regulatory factors one (IRF-l) and two (IRF-2) are transcription factors induced by IFN$\tau$ that activate and silence gene expression, respectively. Available results suggest that IFN$\tau$ acts directly on LE and sGE during pregnancy to induce sequentially IRF-l and then IRF-2 gene expression to silence transcription of ER and OTR genes, block the luteolytic mechanism to maintenance a functional corpus luteum (CL) and, signal maternal recognition of pregnancy. The theory for maternal recognition of pregnancy in pigs is that the uterine endometrium of cyclic gilts secretes PGF in an endocrine direction, toward the uterine vasculature for transport to the CL to exert its luteolytic effect. However, in pregnant pigs, estrogens secreted by the conceptuses are responsible, perhaps in concert with effects of prolactin and calcium, for exocrine secretion of PGF into the uterine lumen where it is sequestered to exert biological effects and / or be metabolized to prevent luteolysis.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.375-383
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• 2014

Klotho (KL) is a single transmembrane protein composed of KL1 and KL2 repeats possessing ${\beta}$-glucuronidase activity and maintains calcium homeostasis in physiological state. It has been implicated in pigs that calcium is important for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and our previous study has shown that transient receptor potential vanilloid type 6 (TRPV6), a calcium ion transporter, is predominantly expressed in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. However, expression and function of KL in the uterine endometrium has not been determined in pigs. Thus, the present study determined expression and regulation of KL in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that levels of KL mRNA decreased between Days 12 to 15 of the estrous cycle, and its expression showed a biphasic manner during pregnancy. KL mRNA was expressed in conceptuses and in chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy. Explant culture study showed that expression levels of KL were not affected by treatment of steroid hormones or interleukin-1beta during the implantation period. Furthermore, levels of KL mRNA in the uterine endometrium from gilts carrying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-derived embryos were significantly lower than those from gilts carrying natural mating-derived embryos on Day 12 of pregnancy. These results exhibited that KL was expressed at the maternal-conceptus interface in a pregnancy status- and stage-specific manner, and its expression was affected by SCNT procedure, suggesting that KL may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in pigs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.17-35
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• 1998

Medication used during pregnancy may affect the growth of fetus and maintenance of pregnancy so that it may cause fetal deformity or abortion. Before 1940 it was recognized that only genetic factor could affect the incidence of fetal deformity and the teratogen was protected by placenta barrier. But since the report that Thalidomide caused phocomelia was announced in l962 and 1962, it was acknowledged that the placenta barrier was imperfect. In oriental medical care, there were so many prescription used during pregnancy for nausea, threatened abortion, recurrent spontaneous abortion and it was acknowledged that those medication did not harm both maternity and fetus. Most of them are composed of the material that was not classified as prohibition during pregnancy. But we thought that it should be demonstrated through objective methods that these materials do not affect the incidence of fetal deformity or abortion and have the effect of preventing abortion and maintenance of pregnancy. As the first step of that study we researched 78 prescription and each materials, their kinds and using frequency, used for illness and symptoms during pregnancy written in Dongeuibokam(東醫寶鑑) so that we got to know the tendency about what materials are used for each illness and symptoms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2012

Reproduction in ruminant species is a highly complex biological process requiring a dialogue between the developing conceptus (embryo-fetus and associated placental membranes) and maternal uterus which must be established during the peri-implantation period for pregnancy recognition signaling and regulation of gene expression by uterine epithelial and stromal cells. The uterus provide a microenvironment in which molecules secreted by uterine epithelia and transported into the uterine lumen represent histotroph, also known as the secretome, that are required for growth and development of the conceptus and receptivity of the uterus to implantation by the elongating conceptus. Pregnancy recognition signaling as related to sustaining the functional lifespan of the corpora lutea, is required to sustain the functional life-span of corpora lutea for production of progesterone which is essential for uterine functions supportive of implantation and placentation required for successful outcomes of pregnancy. It is within the peri-implantation period that most embryonic deaths occur in ruminants due to deficiencies attributed to uterine functions or failure of the conceptus to develop appropriately, signal pregnancy recognition and/or undergo implantation and placentation. The endocrine status of the pregnant ruminant and her nutritional status are critical for successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The challenge is to understand the complexity of key mechanisms that are characteristic of successful reproduction in humans and animals and to use that knowledge to enhance fertility and reproductive health of ruminant species in livestock enterprises.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.89-98
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• 2023

Background: The regulation of maternal immunity is critical for the establishment and maintenance of successful pregnancy. Among many cell types regulating the immune system, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are known to play an important role in innate immunity. Although some reports show that ILCs are present at the maternalconceptus interface in humans and mice, the expression and function of ILCs in the endometrium have not been studied in pigs. Methods: Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of ILC markers, CD127 (a common marker for ILCs), BCL11B (a ILC2 marker), and RORC (a ILC3 marker) at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. Results: The expression of BCL11B and RORC, but not CD127, in the endometrium changed during pregnancy in a stage-specific manner and the expression of CD127, BCL11B, and RORC was greatest on Day 15 during pregnancy. CD127, BCL11B, and RORC were also expressed in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. BCL11B and RORC proteins were localized to specific cells in endometrial stroma. The expression of CD127 and BCL11B, but not RORC, was increased by the increasing doses of interferon-γ (IFNG) in endometrial explants. Conclusions: These results suggest that ILCs present at the maternal-conceptus interface may play a role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the innate immunity in pigs.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.318-321
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• 2019

Recent studies showed that tight junctions (TJs) integrity and assembly are required for blastocyst development in mouse and pig models. However, the biological functions of TJs associated with embryo implantation and maintenance of pregnancy were not investigated yet. To examine whether disrupted TJs affect further embryo development, we employed RNAi approach and inhibitor treatment. The embryos were injected with Cxadr (Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor) siRNA for knock down (KD) and treated with Adam10 (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase specific inhibitor 10; GI254023X; SI). We compared blastocyst development and paracellular sealing assay using FITC dextran uptake between control and KD or SI embryos. Finally, we transferred control and Cxadr KD or Adam 10 SI treated blastocyst to uteri of recipients. Cxadr KD and Adam 10 SI showed lower blastocyst development and more permeable to FITC-dextran. Moreover, we observed that half of KD and inhibited embryos failed to maintain pregnancies after the second trimester. Our findings suggested that TJs integrity is required for the maintenance of pregnancy and can be used as a selective marker for the successful application of assisted reproduction technologies.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.919-928
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• 2011

The pig exhibits true epitheliochorial placentation, where the fetal membrane maintains attachment throughout pregnancy but does not invade into the maternal uterine endometrium. Accordingly, the expression and function of cell adhesion molecules are very important for embryo implantation and the establishment of pregnancy. In our recent microarray analysis, we found that activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) was expressed in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. To better understand the roles of ALCAM in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, we examined ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that ALCAM was differentially expressed in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with the highest levels on D12 of pregnancy. ALCAM mRNA was localized to the luminal and glandular epithelial cells and to the trophectoderm of conceptuses during early pregnancy. The steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone had no effect on ALCAM expression in an endometrial explant culture study. Further, we found that ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium from gilts with somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryos was not different from that in gilts with embryos from natural mating. ALCAM was expressed in a pregnancy stage- and cell type-specific manner in the uterine endometrium and conceptuses during pregnancy. These findings suggest that ALCAM may play a role in the establishment of pregnancy. Further analysis of ALCAM will provide insight into the implantation process and establishment of pregnancy in pigs.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2010

Decorin (DCN) is a member of small leucine-rich proteoglycans which are ubiquitous components of the extracellular matrix. It regulates many physiological processes, such as matrix formation, collagen fibrillogenesis, angiogenesis, cancer growth, and cardiovascular diseases. It has been shown that DCN is expressed in the uterus during pregnancy and modulates implantation and decidualization for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in mice and humans. Expression of DCN in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy has not been investigated in pigs. Thus, this study investigated expression of DCN in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Uterine endometrial tissues were from day (D) 12 and 15 of the estrous cycle and D12, D15, D30, D60, D90, and D114 of pregnancy. Northern blot and real-time RT-PCR analyses showed that expression of DCN mRNA was detected throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy with the highest levels during mid pregnancy. In situ hybridization analysis showed that DCN mRNA was localized to both luminal and glandular epithelia during the estrous cycle and pregnancy and also to chorionic membrane during mid pregnancy in pigs. To determine whether endometrial expression of DCN was affected by the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) procedure, DCN mRNA levels in the uterine endometrium from gilts with SCNT embryos on D30 of pregnancy were compared with those from gilts with normal embryos using real-time RT-PCR analysis. The result showed that DCN mRNA levels in the uterine endometrium were not significantly different between gilts with normal embryos and SCNT embryos. These results suggest that DCN may play an important role for endometrial tissue remodeling during mid pregnancy, and DCN expression is not affected by the SCNT procedure at the early stage of pregnancy in pigs.