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Differences in protein content of uterine fluid related to duration of progesterone treatment in ovariectomised mares used as embryo recipients
Author(s) -
HINRICHS KATRIN,
KENNEY R. M.,
SHARP D. C.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1989.tb04673.x
Subject(s) - ovulation , embryo transfer , pregnancy , embryo , andrology , pregnancy rate , medicine , biology , endocrinology , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
Summary Ovariectomised, progesterone‐treated mares were used to test the effect of two different durations of progesterone treatment on pregnancy rate after embryo transfer, and to examine the effect of duration of progesterone treatment on the secretion of uterine proteins. Ovariectomised mares were assigned to one of two groups: ‘synchronous’ mares, given progesterone from two days after the date of ovulation of a potential donor mare; or ‘asynchronous’ mares administered progesterone from five to seven days before the predicted date of ovulation of a potential donor mare. The day of ovulation of a given donor mare was designated Day 0. Four procedures were performed using both synchronous and asynchronous mares: no transfer; sham transfer at Day 7; embryo transfer at Day 7 resulting in pregnancy on Day 14; and embryo transfer at Day 7 resulting in no pregnancy at Day 14. Uterine fluid was collected from the recipient mares either at Day 7, or seven days after embryo, or sham, transfer (Day 14). This schedule resulted in uterine fluid being recovered after the mares had been treated with progesterone for three different durations: five days (synchronous recipients flushed at Day 7); 12 to 15 days (synchronous recipients flushed at Day 14 or asynchronous recipients flushed at Day 7); and 19 to 21 days (asynchronous recipients flushed at Day 14). Total concentration of protein in uterine fluid tended (P= 0.08) to increase with the duration of progesterone treatment, and the main effect of procedure also tended (P = 0.06) to affect protein content. Acid phosphatase content of uterine flushings was significantly (p<0.05) affected by duration of progesterone treatment, being ten‐fold higher after 19 to 21 days of treatment than after five days of treatment. Characterisation of proteins in uterine fluid by two‐dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis did not reveal striking qualitative differences in protein patterns, except for a protein apparent in uterine fluid from the two mares treated with progesterone for five days only (synchronous, no‐transfer group). This protein was not observed at other stages.