Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, Facultad de Veterinaria, Zaragoza, Spain.
Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Metabolismo Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2023 Jul;35(11):563-574. doi: 10.1071/RD22194.
Melatonin influences female reproduction, but expression of the melatonin system has not been characterised in the ovine uterus.
We aimed to determine whether synthesising enzymes (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and N-acetylserotonin-O-methyltransferase (ASMT)), melatonin receptors 1 and 2 (MT1 and MT2), and catabolising enzymes (myeloperoxidase (MPO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and 2 (IDO1 and 2)), are expressed in the ovine uterus, and if they are influenced by the oestrous cycle (Experiment 1) or by undernutrition (Experiment 2).
In Experiment 1, gene and protein expression was determined in sheep endometrium samples collected on days 0 (oestrus), 5, 10 and 14 of the oestrous cycle. In Experiment 2, we studied uterine samples from ewes fed either 1.5 or 0.5times their maintenance requirements.
We have demonstrated the expression of AANAT and ASMT in the endometrium of sheep. AANAT and ASMT transcripts, and AANAT protein were more elevated at day 10, then decreased to day 14. A similar pattern was observed for MT2 , IDO1 , and MPO mRNA, which suggests that the endometrial melatonin system might be influenced by ovarian steroid hormones. Undernutrition increased AANAT mRNA expression, but seemed to decrease its protein expression, and increased MT2 and IDO2 transcripts, whereas ASMT expression was unaffected.
The melatonin system is expressed in the ovine uterus and is affected by oestrous cycle and undernutrition.
The results help explain the adverse effects of undernutrition on reproduction in sheep, and the success of exogenous melatonin treatments in improving reproductive outcomes.
褪黑素会影响雌性生殖，但羊子宫中褪黑素系统的表达尚未确定。
我们旨在确定合成酶（芳基烷基胺 N-乙酰转移酶（AANAT）和 N-乙酰血清素-O-甲基转移酶（ASMT））、褪黑素受体 1 和 2（MT1 和 MT2）以及分解代谢酶（髓过氧化物酶（MPO）和吲哚胺 2,3-双加氧酶 1 和 2（IDO1 和 2））是否在羊子宫中表达，以及它们是否受发情周期（实验 1）或营养不良（实验 2）的影响。
在实验 1 中，我们在发情周期的第 0 天（发情）、第 5、10 和 14 天采集绵羊子宫内膜样本，以确定基因和蛋白质表达。在实验 2 中，我们研究了分别以其维持需求的 1.5 倍或 0.5 倍喂养的母羊的子宫样本。
我们已经证明了 AANAT 和 ASMT 在绵羊子宫内膜中的表达。发情周期第 10 天 AANAT 和 ASMT 转录本和 AANAT 蛋白表达水平升高，然后在第 14 天下降。MT2、IDO1 和 MPO mRNA 也观察到类似的模式，这表明子宫内膜褪黑素系统可能受卵巢类固醇激素的影响。营养不良增加了 AANAT mRNA 的表达，但似乎降低了其蛋白质表达，并增加了 MT2 和 IDO2 转录本，而 ASMT 表达不受影响。
褪黑素系统在羊子宫中表达，并受发情周期和营养不良的影响。
这些结果有助于解释营养不良对绵羊生殖的不利影响，以及外源性褪黑素治疗改善生殖结果的成功。
