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| Author(s): |
Viviane Maria Codognoto
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Botucatu. 2023-01-27. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Botucatu |
| Defense date: | 2023-01-18 |
| Advisor: | Eunice Oba |
| Abstract | |
This study aimed to identify serum, urinary, and uterine fluid markers for early pregnancy diagnosis in buffaloes. Forty-four female buffaloes submitted to hormonal synchronization of estrus and randomly divided into two groups: pregnant (n = 30) and non-pregnant (n = 14) were used. The pregnant group was artificially inseminated and divided into two other groups: P12 (n = 15) and P18 (n = 15), from which uterine fluid, urine, and blood samples were collected at 12 and 18 days after insemination during slaughter. However, at the time of material collection, only eight animals from each group had uterine washings with an embryo confirming the pregnancy, which reduced the sample number to 8 (P12 = 8; P18 = 8). The non-pregnant group was also divided into two groups at the end of the synchronization: NP12 (n = 7) and NP18 (n = 7), and uterine fluid, urine, and blood samples were collected at the same time established for the pregnant group. In blood samples, plasma was separated, and progesterone was determined by radioimmunoassay. The rest of the samples and the plasma were prepared for tryptic digestion and submitted to mass spectrometry by shotgun approach. Regarding progesterone, higher concentrations were observed in the pregnant group (G12: 8.2 ± 1.5 ng/mL; G18: 14.4 ± 1.2 ng/mL) when compared to the non-pregnant group (NG12: 3.7 ± 1.0 g/mL; NG18: 3.9 ± 1.1 ng/mL), respectively. The uterine fluid had a total of 1,068 proteins in both groups, with 941 differing between groups. In urine, 798 proteins were found considering all groups, with 660 differences between them. Molecular functions of proteins reported in uterine fluid and urine were binding and catalytic activity; in biological processes, the cellular process and biological regulation were the main ones; and the anatomical entity was the main cellular component. We conclude that the determination of the plasma concentration of progesterone in buffaloes can be considered an alternative method of gestational diagnosis when the other methods cannot be applied in the period. Regarding the proteomic analysis, our results showed qualitative and quantitative protein changes in the uterine fluid and urine of pregnant and non-pregnant buffaloes, with the main functions of these proteins acting in cell transport and metabolism, endometrial remodeling necessary for conceptus elongation, protection, and degradation of defective proteins, functions essential to maintaining uterine receptivity during the establishment of pregnancy. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 18/13338-3 - Serum and embryonic protein of gestant buffaloes |
| Grantee: | Viviane Maria Codognoto |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |