Metabolomic identification of histotroph components that stimulate conceptus elongation in beef cattle supplemented with P4 at early diestrus

• Grant number: 17/21415-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: December 11, 2017
• End date: July 09, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Mario Binelli
• Grantee: Thiago Martins
• Supervisor: Patrick Lonergan
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University College Dublin, Ireland
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/26215-9 - Effect of embryo on the early luteolitic process in beef cows supplemented with P4, BP.DR

Abstract

The embryotrophic effects of supplementary progesterone (P4) are associated with changes in endometrial function that causes changes in the uterine luminal fluid (ULF). However, nature of components ULF associated with conceptus growth are largely unknown. Thus, this study aims to: (1) characterize the composition of the ULF (amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates and other) recovered on Day 13 post-estrus from cows supplemented or not with P4 at early diestrus and (2) identify changes in the ULF composition that may be involved in proliferation and elongation of trophoblast cells cultured in vitro. In exp.1, synchronized Bos taurus crossbred beef heifers detected in estrus (D0) will receive a P4-releasing intravaginal device (PRID; n=8) between D3 and D5 or will remain as a control group (n=8). On Day 13, heifers will be slaughtered and the recovered ULF will be analyzed using metabolomics and bioinformatics techniques. In the exp. 2, pools of ULF from both treatments will be added to trophoblast cells in the presence of BRDu, as a tool to measure proliferation. Also, spent media will be used for the quantification of interferon-tau using an antiviral assay. At the end of culture, trophoblast cells will be harvested to measure the abundance of interferon-tau transcripts using real-time PCR. The better understanding of ULF composition and the identification of the embrytrophic factors will help overcome failures related pregnancy loss and improve the production of embryos in vitro.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SIMINTIRAS, CONSTANTINE A.; SANCHEZ, JOSE M.; MCDONALD, MICHAEL; MARTINS, THIAGO; BINELLI, MARIO; LONERGAN, PAT. Biochemical characterization of progesterone-induced alterations in bovine uterine fluid amino acid and carbohydrate composition during the conceptus elongation window. BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION, v. 100, n. 3, p. 672-685, MAR 2019. (17/21415-5)