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Martins KR, Haas CS, Rovani MT, Moreira F, Goetten ALF, Ferst JG, Portela VM, Duggavathi R, Bordignon V, Gonçalves PBD, Gasperin BG, Lucia T. Regulation and function of leptin during ovarian follicular development in cows. Anim Reprod Sci 2021; 227:106689. [PMID: 33667875 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Although it is well documented that leptin signals the body nutritional status to the brain, mechanisms of leptin regulation at the ovary are not well understood. This study was conducted to determine whether there was leptin and the receptor for leptin (LEPR) in cattle ovarian follicles and to investigate potential actions of leptin on follicular growth in vivo and on regulation of granulosa cell functions in vitro. There was leptin and LEPR in granulosa and theca cells of dominant and subordinate follicles, with greater immunostaining for leptin in granulosa cells of subordinate follicles. There was a lesser relative abundance of leptin receptor gene-related protein (LEPROT) and of the adiponectin receptors 1 (ADIPOR1) and 2 (ADIPOR2) mRNA transcripts in granulosa cells of subordinate than dominant follicles (P < 0.05). Intrafollicular injection of either 100 or 1000 ng/mL leptin did not affect the diameter and the growth of dominant follicles (P> 0.05). Supplementation of in vitro culture medium with different leptin concentations did not affect (P > 0.05) the relative abundance of hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta- and steroid delta-isomerase 1 (HSD3B1), cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1 (CYP11A1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) mRNA transcripts in granulosa cells. These findings indicate that leptin and LEPR are present in the follicular cells of cattle ovaries, but leptin apparently does not have essential functions in steroidogenesis and growth of dominant follicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kauê R Martins
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil; ReproPel, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Cristina S Haas
- ReproPel, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Monique T Rovani
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Moreira
- Instituto Federal Catarinense, Araquari, SC, 89245-000, Brazil
| | - André L F Goetten
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Curitibanos, SC, 89520-000, Brazil
| | - Juliana G Ferst
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Valério M Portela
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Curitibanos, SC, 89520-000, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Raj Duggavathi
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vilceu Bordignon
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Paulo B D Gonçalves
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, 97501-970, Brazil
| | - Bernardo G Gasperin
- ReproPel, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil
| | - Thomaz Lucia
- ReproPel, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, 96010-900, Brazil.
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Bach À. Effects of nutrition and genetics on fertility in dairy cows. Reprod Fertil Dev 2019; 31:40-54. [DOI: 10.1071/rd18364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimal reproductive function in dairy cattle is mandatory to maximise profits. Dairy production has progressively improved milk yields, but, until recently, the trend in reproductive performance has been the opposite. Nutrition, genetics, and epigenetics are important aspects affecting the reproductive performance of dairy cows. In terms of nutrition, the field has commonly fed high-energy diets to dairy cows during the 3 weeks before calving in an attempt to minimise postpartum metabolic upsets. However, in the recent years it has become clear that feeding high-energy diets during the dry period, especially as calving approaches, may be detrimental to cow health, or at least unnecessary because cows, at that time, have low energy requirements and sufficient intake capacity. After calving, dairy cows commonly experience a period of negative energy balance (NEB) characterised by low blood glucose and high non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations. This has both direct and indirect effects on oocyte quality and survival. When oocytes are forced to depend highly on the use of energy resources derived from body reserves, mainly NEFA, their development is compromised due to a modification in mitochondrial β-oxidation. Furthermore, the indirect effect of NEB on reproduction is mediated by a hormonal (both metabolic and reproductive) environment. Some authors have attempted to overcome the NEB by providing the oocyte with external sources of energy via dietary fat. Conversely, fertility is affected by a large number of genes, each with small individual effects, and thus it is unlikely that the decline in reproductive function has been directly caused by genetic selection for milk yield per se. It is more likely that the decline is the consequence of a combination of homeorhetic mechanisms (giving priority to milk over other functions) and increased metabolic pressure (due to a shortage of nutrients) with increasing milk yields. Nevertheless, genetics is an important component of reproductive efficiency, and the incorporation of genomic information is allowing the detection of genetic defects, degree of inbreeding and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms directly associated with reproduction, providing pivotal information for genetic selection programs. Furthermore, focusing on improving bull fertility in gene selection programs may represent an interesting opportunity. Conversely, the reproductive function of a given cow depends on the interaction between her genetic background and her environment, which ultimately modulates gene expression. Among the mechanisms modulating gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetics seem to be most relevant. Several miRNAs have been described to play active roles in both ovarian and testicular function, and epigenetic effects have been described as a consequence of the nutrient supply and hormonal signals to which the offspring was exposed at specific stages during development. For example, there are differences in the epigenome of cows born to heifers and those born to cows, and this epigenome seems to be sensitive to the availability of methyl donor compounds of the dam. Lastly, recent studies in other species have shown the relevance of paternal epigenetic marks, but this aspect has been, until now, largely overlooked in dairy cattle.
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Kšiňanová M, Čikoš Š, Babel’ová J, Šefčíková Z, Špirková A, Koppel J, Fabian D. The Responses of Mouse Preimplantation Embryos to Leptin In Vitro in a Transgenerational Model for Obesity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:233. [PMID: 28959235 PMCID: PMC5604062 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that leptin can directly mediate the negative effect of maternal obesity on preimplantation embryos. As previously shown, maternal obesity retards early embryonic development in vivo and increases the incidence of apoptosis in blastocysts. When two-cell embryos isolated from control and obese mice were transferred to identical (leptin free) conditions in vitro, no differences in any growth or quality parameters were recorded, including apoptosis incidence in blastocysts. Embryos isolated from control mice responded to transfer to environments with a high concentration of leptin (10 ng/mL) with a significant increase in arrest at the first or subsequent cell cycle. However, the majority of non-arrested embryos developed into blastocysts, showing morphology comparable to those cultured in the leptin-free group. On the other hand, the exposure of embryos isolated from obese mice to high leptin concentration in vitro did not retard their development. Furthermore, these embryos developed into blastocysts, showing a lower incidence of apoptosis. In vivo-developed blastocysts recovered from obese mice showed elevated expression levels of the proapoptotic gene BAX and the insulin-responsive glucose transporter gene SLC2A4. In conclusion, elevated leptin levels have both positive and negative effects on preimplantation embryo development in vitro, a response that likely depends on the body condition of the embryo donor. Moreover, these results suggest that leptin acts as a survival factor rather than an apoptotic inductor in embryonic cells. Since no elevations in the expression of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) or fat metabolism-associated genes (PLIN2, SLC27A4) were recorded in blastocysts recovered from obese mice, the role of leptin in mediating the effects of obesity on embryos at the peripheral level is likely lower than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Kšiňanová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Štefan Čikoš
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Janka Babel’ová
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Šefčíková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Alexandra Špirková
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Juraj Koppel
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Fabian
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
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Leptin supplementation in vitro improved developmental competence of buffalo oocytes and embryos. Theriogenology 2017; 98:116-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Sheep oocyte expresses leptin and functional leptin receptor mRNA. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTION 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apjr.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Velazquez MA. Impact of maternal malnutrition during the periconceptional period on mammalian preimplantation embryo development. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2015; 51:27-45. [PMID: 25498236 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
During episodes of undernutrition and overnutrition the mammalian preimplantation embryo undergoes molecular and metabolic adaptations to cope with nutrient deficits or excesses. Maternal adaptations also take place to keep a nutritional microenvironment favorable for oocyte development and embryo formation. This maternal-embryo communication takes place via several nutritional mediators. Although adaptive responses to malnutrition by both the mother and the embryo may ensure blastocyst formation, the resultant quality of the embryo can be compromised, leading to early pregnancy failure. Still, studies have shown that, although early embryonic mortality can be induced during malnutrition, the preimplantation embryo possesses an enormous plasticity that allows it to implant and achieve a full-term pregnancy under nutritional stress, even in extreme cases of malnutrition. This developmental strategy, however, may come with a price, as shown by the adverse developmental programming induced by even subtle nutritional challenges exerted exclusively during folliculogenesis and the preimplantation period, resulting in offspring with a higher risk of developing deleterious phenotypes in adulthood. Overall, current evidence indicates that malnutrition during the periconceptional period can induce cellular and molecular alterations in preimplantation embryos with repercussions for fertility and postnatal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Velazquez
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
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The effect of nutrition and metabolic status on the development of follicles, oocytes and embryos in ruminants. Animal 2014; 8:1031-44. [PMID: 24774511 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731114000937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of nutrition and energy reserves on the fertility of ruminants has been extensively described. However, the metabolic factors and the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions between nutrition and ovarian function are still poorly understood. These factors could be hormonal (either reproductive and/or metabolic) and/or dietary and metabolic (glucose, amino acids and fatty acids). In this review, we briefly summarize the impact of those nutrients (fatty acids, glucose and amino acids) and metabolic hormones (insulin/IGF-I, growth hormone, T3/4, ghrelin, apelin and the adipokines (leptin, adiponectin and resistin)) implicated in the development of ovarian follicles, oocytes and embryos in ruminants. We then discuss the current hypotheses on the mechanisms of action of these factors on ovarian function. We particularly describe the role of some energy sensors including adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in the ovarian cells.
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Castaneda C, Kaye P, Pantaleon M, Phillips N, Fry R, D’Occhio M. Circulating concentrations of leptin, ovarian follicle number, and oocyte lipid content and active mitochondria, in Zebu crossbred cows maintained on standard or improved nutrition. Anim Reprod Sci 2013; 140:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Effect of leptin during in vitro maturation of prepubertal calf oocytes: Embryonic development and relative mRNA abundances of genes involved in apoptosis and oocyte competence. Theriogenology 2011; 76:1706-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2011] [Revised: 06/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Velazquez MA, Hadeler KG, Herrmann D, Kues WA, Ulbrich SE, Ulbrich S, Meyer HHD, Rémy B, Beckers JF, Sauerwein H, Niemann H. In vivo oocyte developmental competence is reduced in lean but not in obese superovulated dairy cows after intraovarian administration of IGF1. Reproduction 2011; 142:41-52. [PMID: 21543511 DOI: 10.1530/rep-10-0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the role of IGF1 in lactating lean and non-lactating obese dairy cows by injecting 1 μg IGF1 into the ovaries prior to superovulation. This amount of IGF1 has been linked with pregnancy loss in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and was associated with impaired bovine oocyte competence in vitro. Transcript abundance and protein expression of selected genes involved in apoptosis, glucose metabolism, and the IGF system were analyzed. Plasma concentrations of IGF1 and leptin, and IGF1 in uterine luminal fluid (ULF), were also measured. IGF1 treatment decreased embryo viability in lean cows to the levels observed in obese cows. Obese cows were not affected by IGF1 treatment and showed elevated levels of IGF1 (in both plasma and ULF) and leptin. Blastocysts from lean cows treated with IGF1 showed a higher abundance of SLC2A1 and IGFBP3 transcripts. IGF1 treatment reduced protein expression of tumor protein 53 in blastocysts of lean cows, whereas the opposite was observed in obese cows. IGF1 in plasma and ULF was correlated only in the control groups. Blastocyst transcript abundance of IGF1 receptor and IGFBP3 correlated positively with IGF1 concentrations in both plasma and ULF in lean cows. The detrimental microenvironment created by IGF1 injection in lean cows and the lack of effect in obese cows resemble to a certain extent the situation observed in PCOS patients, where IGF1 bioavailability is increased in normal-weight women but reduced in obese women, suggesting that this bovine model could be useful for studying IGF1 involvement in PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Velazquez
- Department of Biotechnology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Neustadt, Germany
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Arias-Alvarez M, Bermejo-Alvarez P, Gutierrez-Adan A, Rizos D, Lorenzo P, Lonergan P. Effect of leptin supplementation during in vitro oocyte maturation and embryo culture on bovine embryo development and gene expression patterns. Theriogenology 2011; 75:887-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Revised: 10/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Montaño E, Olivera M, Ruiz-Cortés ZT. Association Between Leptin, LH and its Receptor and Luteinization and Progesterone Accumulation (P4) in Bovine Granulosa CellIn Vitro. Reprod Domest Anim 2009; 44:699-704. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2007.01053.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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van Tol HTA, van Eerdenburg FJCM, Colenbrander B, Roelen BAJ. Enhancement of Bovine oocyte maturation by leptin is accompanied by an upregulation in mRNA expression of leptin receptor isoforms in cumulus cells. Mol Reprod Dev 2008; 75:578-87. [PMID: 17886271 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the mechanisms of supposed leptin action on oocyte maturation were examined. Expression of leptin mRNA, as determined with RT-PCR, was present in oocytes but not in cumulus cells. The long isoform of the leptin receptor (ObR-L) was expressed exclusively in cumulus cells after 7 and 23 hr of maturation. In oocytes the expression of the short receptor isoform (ObR-S) and all the receptor isoforms combined (ObR-T) did not change during maturation, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR, but in cumulus cells there was a significant increase in ObR-S transcripts after 7 hr of maturation. To determine if leptin plays a role in resumption of meiosis, oocytes meiotically arrested by the connection of the cumulus to a piece of granulosa layer were exposed to leptin. After 23 hr of culture, the proportion of oocytes that had resumed meiosis did not differ from the control. Exposure of COCs to leptin (1,000 ng/ml) resulted after 17 hr of maturation in a smaller proportion of oocytes that was still in metaphase-I stage (M-I) compared to the control group. Fertilization of oocytes after maturation in the presence of leptin resulted in a larger proportion of embryos that had developed to the 8-cell stage on Day 5 compared to the control group and in more blastocysts on Day 8 of culture. It is concluded that leptin enhances meiotic maturation of bovine oocytes, and that this effect is cumulus cell-mediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena T A van Tol
- Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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