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Cell Reports Jun 2013Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from mammalian embryos during the transition from totipotency, when individual blastomeres can make all lineages, to...
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from mammalian embryos during the transition from totipotency, when individual blastomeres can make all lineages, to pluripotency, when they are competent to make only embryonic lineages. ESCs maintained with inhibitors of MEK and GSK3 (2i) are thought to represent an embryonically restricted ground state. However, we observed heterogeneous expression of the extraembryonic endoderm marker Hex in 2i-cultured embryos, suggesting that 2i blocked development prior to epiblast commitment. Similarly, 2i ESC cultures were heterogeneous and contained a Hex-positive fraction primed to differentiate into trophoblast and extraembryonic endoderm. Single Hex-positive ESCs coexpressed epiblast and extraembryonic genes and contributed to all lineages in chimeras. The cytokine LIF, necessary for ESC self-renewal, supported the expansion of this population but did not directly support Nanog-positive epiblast-like ESCs. Thus, 2i and LIF support a totipotent state comparable to early embryonic cells that coexpress embryonic and extraembryonic determinants.
Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Embryonic Stem Cells; Female; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Pseudopregnancy; Totipotent Stem Cells
PubMed: 23746443
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.04.034 -
Ginekologia Polska 2018The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of symptoms associated with the Couvade syndrome in two groups of men of Polish and Finnish nationality, and to perform... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of symptoms associated with the Couvade syndrome in two groups of men of Polish and Finnish nationality, and to perform a comparative analysis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted in two groups of men (expectant fathers): 51 Poles and 40 Finns using a self-constructed questionnaire prepared in Polish and English languages. The statistical analysis was performed in Micro-soft Office Excel 2010 and Statistica 12. The Pearson's test was calculated, and the statistical significance level was p < 0.05.
RESULTS
The most common physical symptoms reported by the Polish men were weight gain (78%) and gastric disorders (80%), whereas the Finns most frequently declared weight gain (60%). As for emotional symptoms, mood swings (p = 0.0001) and sleep disorders (p = 0.00004) were significantly more common in the Poles, whilst the Finns experienced frustration (p = 0.0403) and nervousness (p = 0.01579) significantly more frequently. The Finnish respondents more often used profes-sional forms of preparation for childbirth and parenthood (p = 0.00229).
CONCLUSIONS
Psychosomatic symptoms of the Couvade syndrome are significantly more common in Polish than in Finnish expectant fathers. Compared with Polish fathers, Finns significantly more frequently attend ante-natal classes. Ante-natal care should encompass education of men as they do experience the symptoms of the Couvade syndrome during their wives'/partners' pregnancies.
Topics: Adult; Attitude to Health; Behavioral Symptoms; Fathers; Female; Finland; Humans; Male; Poland; Pseudopregnancy; Somatoform Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syndrome; Young Adult
PubMed: 29411345
DOI: 10.5603/GP.a2018.0007 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2018A complex analysis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnant women shows that it is caused by the interaction of gestation-associated pathologies and beneficial signaling...
A complex analysis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnant women shows that it is caused by the interaction of gestation-associated pathologies and beneficial signaling pathways activated by pregnancy. Studies report an increase in the regeneration of some organs during pregnancy. However, the kidney response to the injury during pregnancy has not been addressed. We investigated the mechanisms of the pregnancy influence on AKI. During pregnancy, the kidneys were shown to be more tolerant to AKI. Pregnant animals showed remarkable preservation of kidney functions after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) indicated by the decrease of serum creatinine levels. The pregnant rats also demonstrated a significant decrease in kidney injury markers and an increase in protective markers. Two months after the I/R, group of pregnant animals had a decreased level of fibrosis in the kidney tissue. These effects are likely linked to increased cell proliferation after injury: using real-time cell proliferation monitoring we demonstrated that after ischemic injury, cells isolated from pregnant animal kidneys had higher proliferation potential vs. control animals; it was also supported by an increase of proliferation marker PCNA levels in kidneys of pregnant animals. We suggest that these effects are associated with hormonal changes in the maternal organism, since hormonal pseudopregnancy simulated effects of pregnancy.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Female; Humans; Kidney; Pregnancy; Protective Factors; Rats; Reperfusion Injury
PubMed: 30266919
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32801-8 -
The Journal of Endocrinology Dec 2010The expression of type I GNRH receptor (GNRHR-I) and the direct role of GNRH-I on corpora lutea (CL) function were studied in the pseudopregnant rabbit model....
The expression of type I GNRH receptor (GNRHR-I) and the direct role of GNRH-I on corpora lutea (CL) function were studied in the pseudopregnant rabbit model. Immunohistochemistry evidenced GNRHR-I and GNRH-I in luteal cells at early (day 4 pseudopregnancy)-, mid (day 9)-, and late (day 13)-luteal stages. Real-time RT-PCR and western blotting revealed GNRHR-I mRNA and protein at the three luteal stages. Buserelin in vivo treatment at days 9 and 13 decreased plasma progesterone levels for 48 and 24 h respectively. In in vitro cultured CL, buserelin reduced progesterone secretion, increased prostaglandin F(2α) (PGF(2α)) secretion and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities at days 9 and 13, and decreased PGE₂ at day 13. Co-incubation with antagonists for GNRH-I (antide), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃, 2-amino-ethoxydiphenylborate), and diacylglycerol (DAG, 1-hexadecyl-2-acetyl glycerol) or inhibitors for phospholipase C (PLC, compound 48/80), and protein kinase C (PKC, staurosporine) counteracted the buserelin effects. Buserelin co-incubated with COX inhibitor (acetylsalicylic acid) increased progesterone and decreased PGF(2α) and NOS activity at days 9 and 13, whereas co-incubation with NOS inhibitor (N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester) increased progesterone at the same luteal stages. These results suggest that GNRHR-I is constitutively expressed in rabbit CL independently of luteal stage, whereas GNRH-I down-regulates directly CL progesterone production via PGF(2α) at mid- and late-luteal stages of pseudopregnancy, utilizing its cognate type I receptor with a post-receptorial mechanism that involves PLC, IP₃, DAG, PKC, COX-2, and NOS.
Topics: Animals; Aspirin; Buserelin; Corpus Luteum; Cyclooxygenase 2; Diglycerides; Dinoprost; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Oligopeptides; Progesterone; Protein Kinase C; Pseudopregnancy; Rabbits; Receptors, LHRH; Staurosporine; Type C Phospholipases; p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine
PubMed: 20880984
DOI: 10.1677/JOE-10-0109 -
Reproduction in Domestic Animals =... Jan 2022The canine corpus luteum (CL) is the main source of reproductive steroids during dioestrus in the dog and remains active even in the absence of pregnancy (non-pregnant...
The canine corpus luteum (CL) is the main source of reproductive steroids during dioestrus in the dog and remains active even in the absence of pregnancy (non-pregnant dioestrus, physiological pseudopregnancy). Whereas the biological effects of 17β-oestradiol (E2) in the canine CL remain unclear, the transcriptional availability of oestrogen receptors, ESR1 and ESR2, as well as other modulators of local availability of E2, for example, HSD17B7 (converts oestrone into oestradiol), SULT1E1 (inactivates E2 binding capacity to its own receptors through sulphonation) and STS (reverts E2 sulphonation), were previously detected in the CL of non-pregnant bitches. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the mRNA amounts of these factors involved in luteal sensitivity and metabolism of E2 in the canine CL during the course of non-pregnant dioestrus (days 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 post-ovulation, n = 5/group) and at different stages of pregnancy (n = 4-6/group): pre-implantation (days 8-12), post-implantation (days 18-25), mid-gestation (days 35-40) and prepartum luteolysis. During pregnancy, the availability of ESR1, HSD17B7, SULT1E1 and STS decreased from mid-pregnancy to prepartum luteolysis. The main findings during non-pregnant dioestrus were as follows: increased ESR2:ESR1 ratio on days 40 and 50 after ovulation, decreasing during luteal regression (day 60); increased STS at day 30 when SULT1E1 levels decreased; increased availability of SULT1E1 transcripts during luteal regression; and decreased amounts of HSD17B7 mRNA in early dioestrus, increasing towards later stages. These results suggest that E2 signalling and biologically active local concentrations could diverge in response to time and pregnancy status of the bitch.
Topics: Animals; Corpus Luteum; Diestrus; Dogs; Embryo Implantation; Estrogens; Female; Luteolysis; Pregnancy
PubMed: 34704613
DOI: 10.1111/rda.14032 -
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology... Dec 2013CREBZF is a member of the mammalian ATF/CREB family of the basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. Two isoforms of CREBZF have been identified from the...
BACKGROUND
CREBZF is a member of the mammalian ATF/CREB family of the basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors. Two isoforms of CREBZF have been identified from the alternative usage of initiation codons, SMILE (long isoform of CREBZF) and Zhangfei (short isoform of CREBZF). Until recently, the physiological function of CREBZF in mammalian reproductions has not been reported.
METHODS
Multiple techniques were performed to investigate the spatiotemporal expression and hormonal regulation of the CREBZF gene in the mouse uterus and its role in embryo implantation.
RESULTS
Zhangfei was not detected in the mouse uterus. SMILE immunostaining was mainly expressed in the uterine luminal and glandular epithelium, and the expression levels of both SMILE mRNA and protein gradually decreased from days 1-3 of pregnancy, peaked on day 4, and then declined again on day 6. On day 5 of pregnancy, SMILE protein expression was detected only in the luminal epithelium at implantation sites compared with the expression at inter-implantation sites. SMILE protein was not detected in decidual cells from days 6-8 of pregnancy or artificial decidualisation. Furthermore, SMILE protein was not detected in the mouse uterus on days 3-6 of pseudopregnancy, and SMILE expression was also induced in the delayed-implantation uterus, indicating that the presence of an active blastocyst was required for SMILE expression at the implantation site. Oestrogen significantly stimulated SMILE expression in the ovariectomised mouse uterus. In addition, in cycling mice, high levels of SMILE protein and mRNA expression were also observed in proestrus and oestrus uteri.
CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, these results suggested that SMILE expression was closely related to mouse implantation and up-regulated by oestrogen.
Topics: Animals; Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; Embryo Implantation; Estrogens; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Mice; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Protein Isoforms; RNA, Messenger; Uterus
PubMed: 24325733
DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-110 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Sep 2019Aggressiveness is one of the main problems in group housing of rabbit does. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the frequency of aggressiveness and mating...
Aggressiveness is one of the main problems in group housing of rabbit does. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the frequency of aggressiveness and mating behaviour as well as the lifespan of does depending on group composition. The female and male rabbits were housed in one of the 7.7 m pens (four females and one male per pen). Based on the ages of female rabbits two homogenous groups (HOM) were formed containing four 17-week-old females and two heterogeneous groups (HET) containing three 17-week-old and one 1-year-old female. Twenty-four-hour video recordings were taken during the first month after assembling the groups, and the aggressive actions (fights) and matings were counted. The lifespan was examined over a 200-day experimental period. On the day after assembling the groups the number of fights among does was high in HET group. The same aggressive behaviour only started a week later in HOM group, and some fights between females and the male were also observed. The daily peaks of aggressiveness were in the morning (after the light on) and in the evening (before and after the lights off). The primary position of females in the hierarchy was clear but sometimes no differences were detected among the subordinate females. The mortality of does was connected with their rank order. The number of matings was very high on the day of assembling the groups and a second small peak was observed at the end of the hypothetical pseudo-pregnancy. In addition to mating between male and females, female-female and female-male mounting was also observed. Despite of the small sample size it seems that aggressive behaviour is frequent in group housing systems, which is contrary to animal welfare. Natural mating is not effective in group-housing system.
PubMed: 31547162
DOI: 10.3390/ani9100708 -
Fertility and Sterility Dec 1976Correct diagnosis and treatment of amenorrhea is a challenging problem to the clinician. A systematic approach to the differential diagnosis and treatment, based on...
Correct diagnosis and treatment of amenorrhea is a challenging problem to the clinician. A systematic approach to the differential diagnosis and treatment, based on functional activity along the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, is presented. By obtaining a detailed history, performing a meticulous physical examination, and utilizing several simple clinical and laboratory tests, a correct diagnosis can be reached for the majority of patients. Treatment is relatively simple and geared to the patient's desires. In most instances, understanding of the basic problem helps the patient to cope with it and no treatment is needed. If lack of menses is a problem, cyclic bleeding at regular intervals can be induced. When fertility is a problem, ovulation can be induced, provided that there is no ovarian failure. By spending sufficient time with the patient, paying attention to detail, and giving some thought, a correct diagnosis can be reached and adequate treatment given to most amenorrheic patients.
Topics: Amenorrhea; Anorexia Nervosa; Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; Diagnosis, Differential; Dilatation and Curettage; Disorders of Sex Development; Endocrine System Diseases; Female; Genitalia, Female; Humans; Ovarian Diseases; Pseudopregnancy
PubMed: 1001519
DOI: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)42248-x -
Biological Psychiatry May 2021Estrogen increases dramatically during pregnancy but quickly drops below prepregnancy levels at birth and remains suppressed during the postpartum period. Clinical and...
BACKGROUND
Estrogen increases dramatically during pregnancy but quickly drops below prepregnancy levels at birth and remains suppressed during the postpartum period. Clinical and rodent work suggests that this postpartum drop in estrogen results in an estrogen withdrawal state that is related to changes in affect, mood, and behavior. How estrogen withdrawal affects oxytocin (OT) neurocircuitry has not been examined.
METHODS
We used a hormone-simulated pseudopregnancy followed by estrogen withdrawal in Syrian hamsters, a first for this species. Ovariectomized females were given daily injections to approximate hormone levels during gestation and then withdrawn from estrogen to simulate postpartum estrogen withdrawal. These hamsters were tested for behavioral assays of anxiety and anhedonia during estrogen withdrawal. Neuroplasticity in OT-producing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and its efferent targets was measured.
RESULTS
Estrogen-withdrawn females had increased anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze and open field tests but did not differ from control females in sucrose preference. Furthermore, estrogen-withdrawn females had more OT-immunoreactive cells and OT messenger RNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and an increase in OT receptor density in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Finally, blocking OT receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus during estrogen withdrawal prevented the high-anxiety behavioral phenotype in estrogen-withdrawn females.
CONCLUSIONS
Estrogen withdrawal induces OT neuroplasticity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus to increase anxiety-like behavior during the postpartum period. More broadly, these experiments suggest Syrian hamsters as a novel organism in which to model the effects of postpartum estrogen withdrawal on the brain and anxiety-like behavior.
Topics: Anxiety; Dorsal Raphe Nucleus; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Hypothalamus; Oxytocin; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy
PubMed: 33487439
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.016 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar... Jun 2011Embryo implantation is a critical step in mammalian reproduction and includes apposition of the blastocyst, attachment to the uterine epithelium and decidualization of... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Embryo implantation is a critical step in mammalian reproduction and includes apposition of the blastocyst, attachment to the uterine epithelium and decidualization of the uterine stroma. However, the key mechanism underlying embryo implantation remains to be elucidated. In recent years, high-throughput transcriptomic and proteomic approaches make it possible for studying the expression levels of thousands of genes and proteins simultaneously and thus accelerate the understanding of gene regulatory networks involved in embryo implantation. This review briefly summarizes the advance on mRNA, miRNA and protein expression profile analysis during embryo implantation in human and a variety of animal models.
Topics: Animals; Embryo Implantation; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Mammals; MicroRNAs; Pregnancy; Proteins; Proteomics; Pseudopregnancy; RNA, Messenger; Species Specificity
PubMed: 21622286
DOI: 10.2741/241