Li Chong, Li Qi, Li Jing, Zhang Na, Li Yuanfang, Li Yijie, Li Hong, Yan Fengbin, Kang Xiangtao, Liu Xiaojun, Li Kui, Tian Yadong
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
Theriogenology. 2021 Jan 1;159:35-44. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.020. Epub 2020 Oct 13.
Adiponectin is a hormone secreted by adipose tissue that is involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis and reproduction. In this study, the expression levels of adiponectin and its receptors in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis of laying hens were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, and the localization of these proteins was explored using immunohistochemistry. The morphological relationships between adiponectin receptors and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons were analyzed using double immunofluorescence labeling. The results showed that adiponectin mRNA and protein were widely expressed in all tissues involved in the HPO axis in laying hens, with especially high expression in the hypothalamus. Both AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 were more highly expressed in the pituitary than in other tissues and exhibited similar mRNA and protein expression patterns. The immunohistochemistry results showed that adiponectin and AdipoR2 were localized in the major hypothalamic nuclei that regulate food intake and energy balance (i.e., the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), infundibular nucleus (IN), dorsomedial nucleus (DMN), and paraventricular nucleus (PVN)). Immunostaining revealed that adiponectin and its receptors were also localized in the cytoplasm of cells in the adenohypophysis. In the ovaries, adiponectin was localized in the granulosa layer, in the theca externa of follicles and in basal cells, while AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 were localized in basal cells. In the double immunofluorescence labeling experiment, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 were localized in GnRH neurons in the IN and DMN. These results suggest that adiponectin and its receptors may play major roles in the endocrine network, which integrates energy balance and reproduction.
脂联素是一种由脂肪组织分泌的激素，参与能量稳态和生殖的调节。在本研究中，使用定量实时PCR（qRT-PCR）和蛋白质免疫印迹法研究了脂联素及其受体在蛋鸡下丘脑-垂体-卵巢（HPO）轴中的表达水平，并使用免疫组织化学法探索了这些蛋白质的定位。使用双重免疫荧光标记分析了脂联素受体与促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）神经元之间的形态学关系。结果表明，脂联素mRNA和蛋白质在蛋鸡HPO轴的所有组织中广泛表达，在下丘脑中表达尤其高。AdipoR1和AdipoR2在垂体中的表达均高于其他组织，并呈现相似的mRNA和蛋白质表达模式。免疫组织化学结果表明，脂联素和AdipoR2定位于调节食物摄入和能量平衡的主要下丘脑核团（即下丘脑外侧区（LHA）、漏斗核（IN）、背内侧核（DMN）和室旁核（PVN））。免疫染色显示，脂联素及其受体也定位于腺垂体细胞的细胞质中。在卵巢中，脂联素定位于颗粒层、卵泡膜外层和基底细胞，而AdipoR1和AdipoR2定位于基底细胞。在双重免疫荧光标记实验中，AdipoR1和AdipoR2定位于IN和DMN中的GnRH神经元。这些结果表明，脂联素及其受体可能在整合能量平衡和生殖的内分泌网络中发挥主要作用。
