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Histochemistry and Cell Biology Mar 2022Diverse lines of evidence indicate that the mammalian oviduct makes important contributions to the complex process of reproduction other than being simply a conduit for... (Review)
Review
Diverse lines of evidence indicate that the mammalian oviduct makes important contributions to the complex process of reproduction other than being simply a conduit for the transport of gametes and embryos. The cumulative synthesis and transport of proteins secreted by oviductal secretory cells into the oviductal lumen create a microenvironment supporting important reproductive events, including sperm capacitation, fertilization, and early embryo development. Among the components that have been identified in the oviductal fluid is a family of glycosylated proteins known collectively as oviduct-specific glycoprotein (OVGP1) or oviductin. OVGP1 has been identified in several mammalian species, including humans. The present review summarizes the work carried out, in various mammalian species, by many research groups revealing the synthesis and secretion of OVGP1, its fate in the female reproductive tract upon secretion by the oviductal epithelium, and its role in modulating biological functions of gametes and embryos. The production and functions of recombinant human OVGP1 and recombinant OVGP1 of other mammalian species are also discussed. Some of the findings obtained with immunocytochemistry will be highlighted in the present review. It is hoped that the findings obtained from recent studies carried out with recombinant OVGP1 from various species will rekindle researchers' interest in pursuing further the role of the oviductal microenvironment, of which OVGP1 is a major component, in contributing to the successful occurrence of early reproductive events, and the potential use of OVGP1 in improving the current assisted reproductive technology in alleviating infertility.
Topics: Animals; Embryonic Development; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Germ Cells; Glycoproteins; Humans; Male; Mammals; Oviducts
PubMed: 34993641
DOI: 10.1007/s00418-021-02065-x -
Biology of Reproduction Feb 2024The female reproductive tract (FRT), including the uterus and oviduct (Fallopian tube), is responsible for maintaining an optimal microenvironment for reproductive...
The female reproductive tract (FRT), including the uterus and oviduct (Fallopian tube), is responsible for maintaining an optimal microenvironment for reproductive processes, such as gamete activation and transportation, sperm capacitation, fertilization, and early embryonic and fetal development. The mucosal surface of the FRT may be exposed to pathogens and sexually transmitted microorganisms due to the opening of the cervix during mating. Pathogens and endotoxins may also reach the oviduct through the peritoneal fluid. To maintain an optimum reproductive environment while recognizing and killing pathogenic bacterial and viral agents, the oviduct and uterus should be equipped with an efficient and rigorously controlled immune system. Ovarian sex steroids can affect epithelial cells and underlying stromal cells, which have been shown to mediate innate and adaptive immune responses. This, in turn, protects against potential infections while maintaining an optimal milieu for reproductive events, highlighting the homeostatic involvement of ovarian sex steroids and reproductive epithelial cells. This article will discuss how ovarian sex steroids affect the immune reactions elicited by the epithelial cells of the non-pregnant uterus and oviduct in the bovine, murine, and human species. Finally, we propose that there are regional and species-specific differences in the immune responses in FRT.
Topics: Humans; Male; Cattle; Animals; Female; Mice; Fallopian Tubes; Semen; Oviducts; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Uterus; Immunity; Models, Animal; Steroids
PubMed: 38038990
DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad166 -
Animal : An International Journal of... May 2014Early embryo development following fertilization occurs in the oviduct. However, despite being the site of fertilization in cattle, it is possible to by-pass the oviduct... (Review)
Review
Early embryo development following fertilization occurs in the oviduct. However, despite being the site of fertilization in cattle, it is possible to by-pass the oviduct by producing embryos in vitro and/or by transferring blastocysts recovered from one female into the uterus of another. While there is substantial evidence for the oviduct having an influence on the quality of the developing embryo, manifested in altered morphology, gene expression and cryotolerance, evidence for a two-way dialogue is weak. In contrast, successful growth and development of the post-hatching blastocyst and pregnancy establishment are a result of the two-way interaction between a competent embryo and a receptive uterine environment. Progesterone (P4) plays a key role in reproductive events associated with establishment and maintenance of pregnancy through its action on the uterine endometrium. Elevated concentrations of circulating P4 in the immediate post-conception period have been associated with an advancement of conceptus elongation, an increase in interferon-tau production and, in some studies, higher pregnancy rates in cattle. This review summarizes current knowledge on the communication between the developing embryo and the maternal reproductive tract.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Embryo Implantation; Embryo, Mammalian; Embryonic Development; Endometrium; Estrous Cycle; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Uterus
PubMed: 24679216
DOI: 10.1017/S1751731114000470 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2019Salpingitis is a common cause for subfertility and infertility both in humans and animals. However, the effects of salpingitis on tubal function and reproductive success...
Salpingitis is a common cause for subfertility and infertility both in humans and animals. However, the effects of salpingitis on tubal function and reproductive success are largely unknown. Therefore we set out to investigate the effects of inflammation on sperm and oocyte transport and gameto-maternal interaction in the oviduct using the bovine as a model. For this purpose, oviducts revealing mild (n = 45), moderate (n = 55) and severe (n = 45) inflammation were obtained from cows immediately after slaughter and investigated by live cell imaging, histochemistry and scanning electron microscopy. Our studies showed that endometritis was always correlated with salpingitis. Moderate and severe inflammation caused a significant increase in the thickness of tubal folds (p < 0.05). Severe inflammation was characterized by luminal accumulations of mucus and glycoproteins, increased apoptosis, loss of tight junctions and shedding of tubal epithelial cells. The mean ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in the ampulla was significantly reduced as compared to the controls (p < 0.05). The higher the grade of inflammation, the lower was the CBF (p < 0.001). In severe inflammation, spermatozoa were stuck in mucus resulting in decreased sperm motility. Our results imply that tubal inflammation impairs proper tubal function and leads to reduced sperm fertilizing capacity.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Cattle; Endometritis; Epithelial Cells; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Fertilization; Glycoproteins; Humans; Infertility; Male; Mucus; Oviducts; Salpingitis; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Tight Junctions
PubMed: 31350463
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47431-x -
Scientific Reports Mar 2022Understanding the composition of the oviduct fluid (OF) is crucial to better comprehend the microenvironment in which sperm capacitation, fertilization and early embryo...
Understanding the composition of the oviduct fluid (OF) is crucial to better comprehend the microenvironment in which sperm capacitation, fertilization and early embryo development take place. Therefore, our aim was to determine the spatiotemporal changes in the OF proteome according to the anatomical region of the oviduct (ampulla vs. isthmus), the proximity of the ovulating ovary (ipsilateral vs. contralateral side) and the peri-ovulatory stage (pre-ovulatory or Pre-ov vs. post-ovulatory or Post-ov). Oviducts from adult cyclic cows were collected at a local slaughterhouse and pools of OF were analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS and label-free protein quantification (n = 32 OF pools for all region × stage × side conditions). A total of 3760 proteins were identified in the OF, of which 65% were predicted to be potentially secreted. The oviduct region was the major source of variation in protein abundance, followed by the proximity of the ovulating ovary and finally the peri-ovulatory stage. Differentially abundant proteins between regions, stages and sides were involved in a broad variety of biological functions, including protein binding, response to stress, cell-to-cell adhesion, calcium homeostasis and the immune system. This work highlights the dynamic regulation of oviduct secretions and provides new protein candidates for interactions between the maternal environment, the gametes and the early embryo.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Oviducts; Ovulation; Proteome; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 35264682
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07929-3 -
The Journal of Histochemistry and... Jan 2009Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a key regulator of cholesterol esters metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine HSL localization in rat female reproductive...
Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a key regulator of cholesterol esters metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine HSL localization in rat female reproductive organs during the ovarian cycle by IHC methods. HSL was located in the ovarian epithelium. The granulosa cells and oocytes of primordial follicles were immunonegative. In mature follicles, HSL was found in oocytes and theca and granulosa cells. However, HSL expression in theca cells and oocytes decreased during follicular atresia. Luteal cells showed HSL staining in cytoplasm during proestrus and estrus, in the nucleus during metestrus, and in cytoplasm and the nucleus during diestrus. In the tubaric ampulla, HSL was located in the epithelial cells nuclei and in the cilia during proestrus and estrus but mainly in the nucleus during metestrus and diestrus. In the isthmus, cells showed HSL immunolabeling in the nucleus and cilia during proestrus, but only in the cilia during estrus, metestrus, and diestrus. In the uterus, HSL was found in the epithelial cells nuclei. HSL-immunoreactive bands at 84, 67, 54, and 43 kDa were found in rat female reproductive organs. HSL labeling in the nucleus of epithelial and germ cells suggests an as yet unknown function for this protein, probably related to oogenesis and cell proliferation.
Topics: Animals; Estrus; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Ovary; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sterol Esterase; Uterus; Vagina
PubMed: 18824635
DOI: 10.1369/jhc.2008.951996 -
Molecular Human Reproduction Jan 2021Owing to the rise of ART and mounting reports of epigenetic modification associated with them, an understanding of optimal embryo culture conditions and reliable... (Review)
Review
Owing to the rise of ART and mounting reports of epigenetic modification associated with them, an understanding of optimal embryo culture conditions and reliable indicators of embryo quality are highly sought after. There is a growing body of evidence that mechanical biomarkers can rival embryo morphology as an early indicator of developmental potential and that biomimetic mechanical cues can promote healthy development in preimplantation embryos. This review will summarize studies that investigate the role of mechanics as both indicators and promoters of mammalian preimplantation embryo development and evaluate their potential for improving future embryo culture systems.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Engineering; Biophysical Phenomena; Blastocyst; Embryo Culture Techniques; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Humans; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
PubMed: 33543291
DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaaa087 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... Oct 2014With the advent of assisted reproductive technology in the past three decades, the clinical importance of fallopian tubes has been relatively overlooked. However,... (Review)
Review
With the advent of assisted reproductive technology in the past three decades, the clinical importance of fallopian tubes has been relatively overlooked. However, successful spontaneous conception requires normal function of the tube to provide not only a conduit for the gametes to convene and embryo to reach the uterine cavity, but also a physiologically optimized environment for fertilization and early embryonic development. In this review, after a brief description of normal human tubal anatomy and histology, we will discuss tubal transport and its principal effectors, including ciliary motion, muscular contractility and tubal fluid. Furthermore, we will discuss the ciliary ultrastructure and regulation of ciliary beat frequency by ovarian steroids, follicular fluid, angiotensin system, autonomic nervous system and other factors such as adrenomedullin and prostaglandins. In the last section, we describe the adverse impact of various pathological conditions, such as endometriosis, infection and smoking on tubal function and ciliary motility.
Topics: Animals; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Germ Cells; Humans; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Uterus
PubMed: 25117646
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-014-0309-x -
Physiological Research Dec 2022It is well known that the mammalian uterine tube (UT) plays a crucial role in female fertility, where the most important events leading to successful fertilization and... (Review)
Review
It is well known that the mammalian uterine tube (UT) plays a crucial role in female fertility, where the most important events leading to successful fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development occur. The known functions of these small intra-abdominal organs are: an uptake and transport of oocytes; storage, transportation, and capacitation of spermatozoa, and finally fertilization and transport of the fertilized ovum and early embryo through the isthmus towards the uterotubal junction. The success of all these events depends on the interaction between the uterine tube epithelium (UTE) and gametes/embryo. Besides that, contemporary research revealed that the tubal epithelium provides essential nutritional support and the most suitable environment for early embryo development. Moreover, recent discoveries in molecular biology help understand the role of the epithelium at the cellular and molecular levels, highlighting the factors involved in regulating the UT signaling, that affects different steps in the fertilization process. According to the latest research, the extracellular vesicles, as a major component of tubal secretion, mediate the interaction between gametes/embryo and epithelium. This review aims to provide up-to-date knowledge on various aspects concerning tubal epithelium activity and its cross-talk with spermatozoa, oocytes and preimplantation embryo and how these interactions affect fertilization and early embryo development.
Topics: Male; Humans; Animals; Female; Fallopian Tubes; Reproduction; Spermatozoa; Oocytes; Epithelium; Fertilization; Mammals
PubMed: 36592437
DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934954 -
Cancer Medicine Nov 2019MicroRNAs have recently emerged as promising circulating biomarkers in diverse cancer types, including ovarian cancer. We utilized conditional, doxycycline-induced...
BACKGROUND
MicroRNAs have recently emerged as promising circulating biomarkers in diverse cancer types, including ovarian cancer. We utilized conditional, doxycycline-induced fallopian tube (FT)-derived cancer models to identify changes in miRNA expression in tumors and plasma, and further validated the murine findings in high-grade ovarian cancer patient samples.
METHODS
We analyzed 566 biologically informative miRNAs in doxycycline-induced FT and metastatic tumors as well as plasma samples derived from murine models bearing inactivation of Brca, Tp53, and Pten genes. We identified miRNAs that showed a consistent pattern of dysregulated expression and validated our results in human patient serum samples.
RESULTS
We identified six miRNAs that were significantly dysregulated in doxycycline-induced FTs (P < .05) and 130 miRNAs differentially regulated in metastases compared to normal fallopian tissues (P < .05). Furthermore, we validated miR-21a-5p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-126a-3p as dysregulated in both murine doxycycline-induced FT and metastatic tumors, as well as in murine plasma and patient serum samples.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary, we identified changes in miRNA expression that potentially accompany tumor development in murine models driven by commonly found genetic alterations in cancer patients. Further studies are required to test both the function of these miRNAs in driving the disease and their utility as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and/or disease progression.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers, Tumor; Doxycycline; Fallopian Tubes; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Mice; MicroRNAs; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Transplantation; Ovarian Neoplasms
PubMed: 31503420
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2416