Expression of obesity gene and obesity gene long form receptor in endometrium of Yorkshire sows during embryo implantation

Abstract

There is accumulating evidence that leptin may be directly involved in mammalian reproduction, however, the potential role of obesity gene/obesity gene long form receptor (ob/ob-Rb) system in porcine implantation is poorly understood. To further confirm this role, mRNA and protein expression of ob/ob-Rb in implantation site and inter-implantation sites of porcine uterus on pregnancy day 13, 18 and 24 were compared in this study. Ob mRNA level went up with the advance of pregnancy and was higher in implantation site than inter-implantation site (P<0.05). But ob-Rb mRNA, which was negative-regulated by leptin, went down with the advance of pregnancy and lessened in implantation site compared with inter-implantation site (P<0.05). During the three implantation phase, leptin protein peaked at day 18 pregnancy (P<0.05) and leptin protein at implantation site were always higher than inter-implantation site (P<0.05). The higher ob-Rb protein in implantation site compared with inter-implantation site (P<0.05) only appeared at day 18 pregnancy. Localization of ob/ob-Rb protein in porcine uterus was assayed using immunohistochemistry and found that ob/ob-Rb protein mainly located in luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium in pregnant pigs, but distinct immune-staining of leptin also detected in stroma in non-pregnancy porcine uterus except for luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium. In conclusion, the peak of leptin and the peak of ob-Rb protein in implantation site specifically appeared on day 18 pregnancy of pig. Another funning discovery is ob-Rb mRNA in porcine endometrium was mainly negative-regulated by leptin. The space-time difference of gene and protein expression for ob/ob-Rb confirmed ob/ob-Rb system role as delicate regulator of porcine implantation process.