Song Xiaoming, Tai Ping, Yan Jun, Xu Baoshan, Chen Xiufen, Ouyang Hong, Zhang Meijia, Xia Guoliang
State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2008;20(8):964-72. doi: 10.1071/rd08085.
Lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase (LDM) is expressed ubiquitously in all mammals and is important in cholesterol biosynthesis. However, whether LDM expression is involved in the interaction between uterus and embryo during implantation remains unknown. In the present study, the expression of LDM was investigated in mouse embryo and uterus during the peri-implantation period using confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry and western blot methods. Further, regulation of LDM expression was investigated in pseudopregnancy, delayed implantation, artificial decidualisation and ovariectomisation using 17beta-oestradiol and progesterone treatment mouse models. The results showed that LDM was selectively expressed in preimplantation embryos and the uterine subluminal stroma surrounding the implanting blastocyst on Day 5 of pregnancy. No corresponding signal was detected in the uterus on Day 5 of pseudopregnancy. Most notably, once delayed implantation was terminated by oestrogen treatment and the embryo implanted, a high level of LDM expression was induced in the subluminal stroma surrounding the implanting blastocyst, whereas no corresponding signal was detected in the delayed implantation uterus. A high level of LDM expression was observed in the uterus decidua on Days 6-8 of pregnancy. Furthermore, LDM expression was induced in the uterine stroma under artificial decidualisation. Oestrogen, but not progesterone, treatment induced a high level of LDM expression in the uterus of ovariectomised mice. These results indicate that LDM is closely related to mouse embryo implantation and can be upregulated by oestrogen.
羊毛甾醇14α-去甲基酶（LDM）在所有哺乳动物中均有广泛表达，在胆固醇生物合成中起重要作用。然而，LDM表达是否参与着床期间子宫与胚胎之间的相互作用仍不清楚。在本研究中，使用共聚焦显微镜、免疫组织化学和蛋白质印迹方法，研究了围着床期小鼠胚胎和子宫中LDM的表达。此外，使用17β-雌二醇和孕酮处理小鼠模型，研究了假孕、延迟着床、人工蜕膜化和卵巢切除术中LDM表达的调节。结果显示，LDM在妊娠第5天的植入前胚胎和围绕着床胚泡的子宫腔下基质中选择性表达。在假孕第5天的子宫中未检测到相应信号。最值得注意的是，一旦通过雌激素处理终止延迟着床且胚胎着床，在围绕着床胚泡的腔下基质中会诱导高水平的LDM表达，而在延迟着床的子宫中未检测到相应信号。在妊娠第6 - 8天的子宫蜕膜中观察到高水平的LDM表达。此外，在人工蜕膜化的子宫基质中诱导了LDM表达。雌激素而非孕酮处理在去卵巢小鼠的子宫中诱导了高水平的LDM表达。这些结果表明，LDM与小鼠胚胎着床密切相关，并且可以被雌激素上调。
