Interferon-Tau in Maternal Peripheral Blood and Its Relationship with Progesterone and Pregnancy-Associated Glycoproteins in the Early Phases of Gestation in Water Buffalo
Olimpia Barbato,
Laura Menchetti,
Anna Beatrice Casano,
Giovanni Ricci,
Giovanna De Matteis,
Stella Agradi,
Giulio Curone,
Gabriele Brecchia,
Emilia Larisa Achihaei,
Vittoria Lucia Barile
Affiliations
Olimpia Barbato
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 6, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Laura Menchetti
School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, Italy
Anna Beatrice Casano
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy
Giovanni Ricci
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 6, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Giovanna De Matteis
Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
Stella Agradi
School of Bioscience and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circonvallazione 93/95, 62024 Matelica, Italy
Giulio Curone
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Gabriele Brecchia
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Emilia Larisa Achihaei
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 6, 06100 Perugia, Italy
Vittoria Lucia Barile
Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
The aim of this study was to investigate the interferon tau (IFNt) concentration in the peripheral maternal blood during the early phase of pregnancy in buffalo cows and improve the knowledge on the physiological importance of circulating IFNt, evaluating the possible interaction with pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) and progesterone (P4). Blood samples were taken from buffalo cows on day 0 (day of AI), 7, 14, 18, 28, and 40 post insemination for the IFNt, PAG, and P4 analysis and to determine the IFNt mRNA expression. The animals were categorized ex post into Pregnant, Non-pregnant and Embryo mortality groups. The interferon value was influenced by group (p = 0.003), being always higher in pregnant buffalo cows than in non-pregnant ones, while the embryo mortality group showed intermediate values between those for pregnant and non-pregnant animals. The mRNA expression of IFNt was not influenced by groups or any time points. The regression analysis that included IFNt as the independent variable showed that PAGs, from day 18 (p p < 0.05), were positively associated with IFNt values. The close associations among IFNt, PAGs and P4 demonstrate that all three molecules work together for fetal–placental well-being and pregnancy support. Unfortunately, the great individual variability in circulating IFNt makes this analysis unsuitable for early pregnancy diagnosis.
