New publication: Vascular endothelial growth factor A and VEGFR-1 change during preimplantation in heifers
Comprehending the contribution of vascular endothelial growth factor A during early pregnancy establishment in cattle.
Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) plays a critical angiogenic role in the endometrium of placentalia during preimplantation. The role of VEGFA and its receptors is not fully characterised in bovine reproduction. We analysed the mRNA expression of VEGFA isoforms 121, 165 and 189, and VEGF receptors 1 and 2 in three experimental settings (A, B and C). We compared intercaruncular endometrium of cyclic to pregnant heifers at Days 12, 15 and 18 post insemination (Day 0), and between Day 15 and Day 18 conceptuses (A). We further compared caruncular versus intercaruncular endometrium at Day 15 (B), and endometrium of heifers carrying embryos originating from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) versus in vitro fertilisation (IVF) at Day 18 (C). Endometrial VEGFA protein was localised and quantified. Our results showed that pregnant heifers displayed a significant lower intercaruncular endometrial mRNA expression of VEGFA-12 and VEGFA-189 as well as a significant lower VEGFA protein abundance at Day 15. The VEGFA protein was localised in intercaruncular luminal, glandular epithelium and in tunica muscularis of blood vessels. At Day 15, caruncular endometrium displayed higher VEGFA mRNA expression than intercaruncular endometrium. Intercaruncular endometrial VEGFA protein at Day 18 was significantly higher in abundance in SCNT than in IVF. We concluded that, during preimplantation in cattle, there may be a need for timely physiological reduction in intercaruncular endometrial VEGFA expression in favour of the caruncular area to facilitate a gradient towards the implantation sites. A higher expression of VEGFA in SCNT may predispose for later placentation abnormalities frequently observed following SCNT.
Read the article here: external page Vascular endothelial growth factor A and VEGFR-1 change during preimplantation in heifers
Daniel Chiumia, Anna-Katharina Hankele, Anna E. Groebner, Katy Schulke, Horst-Dieter Reichenbach, Katrin Giller, Valeri Zakhartchenko, Stefan Bauersachs, Susanne E. Ulbrich. Vascular endothelial growth factor A and VEGFR-1 change during preimplantation in heifers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Volume 21, Issue 2, Article 544, 2020.
DOI: external page https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020544