Animal Science and Genetics (Dec 2023)

Expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptor and intermediate filament proteins in the oviduct of mares with endometrosis

  • Magdalena Profaska,
  • Artur Gurgul,
  • Malgorzata Kotula-Balak,
  • Robertso Sanchez,
  • Sylwester Zając,
  • Maciej Witkowski

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0054.2865
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 4
pp. 51 – 67

Abstract

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Equine endometrosis is one of the major causes of equine infertility, often associated with signs of periglandular fibrosis occurring in the endometrium. As the oviduct is a key location of early embryo development, we hypothesized that disturbances in hormonal action may be associated with a loss of contact between mucosal cells in the uterus and oviducts. This study investigates the expression of intermediate filament proteins (vimentin and desmin), oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα), and progesterone receptor A (PRA) in the stroma and epithelia of the endometria and oviducts of healthy mares and mares with endometrosis. Endometrium samples were obtained from 56 mares, culled in a slaughterhouse, and were designated either healthy endometrium (n = 26) or endometrium with signs of moderate to severe endometrosis (n = 20). The phase of the ovarian cycle and the expression of vimentin, desmin, ERα, and PRA were compared between these groups. The expressions of both vimentin and desmin were higher in the endometrial stroma of the endometrosis group than in healthy endometria. The expression of ERα in the healthy endometrial stroma and luminal epithelium during the follicular phase was higher than in the luteal phase, but showed no differences in the endometrium of mares with endometrosis. PRA expression was significantly higher in the stoma oviduct during the follicular phase than in the luteal phase. It seems possible that mucosal cells may support the occurrence of moderate to severe endometrosis through their altered intermediate filament and sex steroid receptor interactions. In addition, the oviduct appears to be less sensitive to hormonal changes than the uterus. Changes in the expression of intermediate filament and steroid hormone proteins may be a leading factor contributing to the functional status of the oviduct in endometrosis.

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