Biol Reprod Keystone Symposia Conference on Frontiers in Reproductive Biology & Regulation of Fertility.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

BOR - Papers in Press, published online ahead of print December 11, 2002.
Biol Reprod 2002, 10.1095/biolreprod.102.011874
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
68/4/1455    most recent
biolreprod.102.011874v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mishra, S.
Right arrow Articles by Rao, Ch.V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mishra, S.
Right arrow Articles by Rao, Ch.V.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Mishra, S.
Right arrow Articles by Rao, Ch.V.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 68, 1455–1462 (2003)
DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.102.011874
© 2003 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

Embryo

A Novel Role of Luteinizing Hormone in the Embryo Development in Cocultures1

S. Mishraa, Z.M. Leia, and Ch.V. Rao2,a

a Division of Research, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Louisville, Kentucky 40292

Bovine oviductal epithelium contains LH receptors, which function in the increase of synthesis of oviductal glycoprotein (OGP). As with cocultures of embryos with oviductal epithelial cells, OGP is thought to promote early embryonic growth and development. These findings led us to test the hypothesis that LH treatment of cocultures further increases embryo development through OGP mediation. Coculture of >=10 two-cell bovine embryos with bovine oviductal epithelial cells increased the development of the embryos into blastocysts. Treatment of these cocultures with hCG, used as a surrogate for LH because of its stability and purity, further increased embryo development. The hCG effect is dose dependent and hormone specific and requires the dimer conformation and the presence of LH receptors in oviductal epithelial cells. The inhibition of OGP synthesis and prevention of protein kinase A activation blocked the hCG effect in cocultures. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and indirect immunofluorescence with laser scanning confocal microscopy demonstrated the presence of LH receptors in bovine oocytes, embryos, and blastocysts. However, embryo LH receptors may not have played any role in the beneficial hCG effects in cocultures. These findings suggest that elevated periovulatory LH levels may promote preimplantation embryo development in oviducts. These results have important implications for assisted reproductive technologies in which cocultures are used to improve pregnancy rates.

1 This work was supported by NIH grant 1 R01 HD 31971.

2 Correspondence. FAX: 502 852 0881; cvrao001{at}gwise.louisville.edu






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2003 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.