mRNA Expression in Rabbit Blastocyst and Endometrial Tissue of Candidate Gene Involved in Gestational Losses

• Published in: Reproduction in domestic animals Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 281 - 287
• Main Authors: Llobat, L, Marco‐Jiménez, F, Peñaranda, DS, Thieme, R, Navarrete, A, Vicente, JS
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2012; Blackwell
• Subjects: Abortion, Veterinary - genetics; Abortion, Veterinary - metabolism; Angiogenesis; Animal reproduction; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Birth; blastocyst; Blastocyst - metabolism; blastocysts; Cytokines; Differentiation; embryogenesis; Embryos; Endometriosis; Endometrium; Endometrium - physiology; epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; ErbB-3 protein; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma -Interferon; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - physiology; genes; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Gestation; Insulin; Insulin-like growth factors; interferon-gamma; Litter; litter size; Mammalian reproduction. General aspects; messenger RNA; Oct-4 protein; Ovulation; parturition; Placenta; Pregnancy; proteins; Rabbits; Rabbits - genetics; Receptor, IGF Type 2 - genetics; Receptor, IGF Type 2 - metabolism; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Signal Transduction; somatomedins; Transforming growth factor- beta 1; transforming growth factors; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vertebrates: reproduction; Weight Gain - genetics; Blastocyst; Rabbit; Lagomorpha; Gene expression; Pregnancy; Tissue; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Uterus; Animal; Female genital system; Candidate gene; Endometrium
• ISSN: 0936-6768; 1439-0531
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2011.01855.x

Gestation is a complex process that involves different growth factors, cytokines and adhesion proteins related with embryo development, cellular differentiation and proliferation, embryo‐endometrium interaction, angiogenesis, maternal‐embryonic recognition and growth development of placenta and embryos. In this study, we examine pre‐implantational (at 6 days of gestation) and gestational (at 12 days and total from ovulation to birth) losses in two rabbit lines selected by different criteria (post‐weaning daily gain and litter size) and the pattern of a set of candidate transcripts, at 6 days of gestation, related with embryo development and implantation process, such as Oct‐4, epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (erbB3), Transforming Growth Factor β2, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Interferon γ and related with insulin‐like growth factors signalling as insulin growth factors I and II and their receptors in rabbit blastocysts and endometrial tissue. Similar pre‐implantational losses were obtained in both lines. However, the gestational losses of the line selected by post‐weaning daily gain clearly mirrored an increase in losses by 50% at 12 days and at birth (22.4 vs 9.5 and 50.2 vs 25.4, respectively, between line selected by post‐weaning daily gain and line selected by litter size). In blastocysts and endometrial tissue at 6 days of gestation qRT‐PCR assays indicated that the mean insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐IIR mRNA expression was down‐regulated in line selected by post‐weaning daily gain. Dysregulation of the IGF‐IIR could be potential reasons for induced gestational losses. We conclude that IGF‐IIR gene expression in blastocyst and endometrial tissue at 6th day of gestation tends to decline in line selected by post‐weaning daily gain. The functional significance related with gestational losses is uncertain.