In vivo progestin treatments inhibit nitric oxide and endothelin-1-induced bovine endometrial prostaglandin (PG) E (PGE) secretion in vitro

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Synchronization of estrus with progestins in cows has been reported to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1)-stimulated bovine luteal PGE secretion without affecting prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α) secretion in vitro [Weems YS, Randel RD, Tatman S, Lewis A, Neuendorff DA, Weems CW. Does estrous synchronization affect corpus luteum (CL) function? Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat 2004;74:45–59]. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NO donors, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors on bovine caruncular endometrial secretion of PGE and PGF 2α in vitro. In Experiment 1, estrus was synchronized in Brahman cows with Synchromate-B ear implants, which contained the synthetic progestin norgestamet. Days 14–15 caruncular endometrial slices were weighed, diced, and incubated in vitro with treatments. Treatments (100 ng/ml) were: Vehicle (control), l-NAME (NOS inhibitor), l-NMMA (NOS inhibitor), DETA (control), DETA-NONOate (NO donor), sodium nitroprusside (NO donor), or ET-1. In Experiment 2, estrus was synchronized in Brahman cows with either Lutalyse (PGF 2α) or a controlled intravaginal drug releasing device (CIDR-containing progesterone) or estrus was not synchronized. Days 14–15 caruncular endometrial slices were weighed, diced, and incubated in vitro with treatments. Treatments (100 ng/ml) were: vehicle, l-NAME, l-NMMA, DETA, DETA-NONOate, sodium nitroprusside, SNAP (NO donor) or ET-1. Tissues were incubated in M-199 for 1 h without treatments and with treatments for 4 and 8 h in both experiments. Media were analyzed for concentrations of PGE and PGF 2α by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Hormone data in Experiments 1 and 2 were analyzed by 2 × 7 and 3 × 2 × 8 factorial design for ANOVA, respectively. Concentrations of PGE and PGF 2α in media increased ( P ≤ 0.05) from 4 to 8 h regardless of treatment group in Experiment 1, but did not differ ( P ≥ 0.05) among treatments. In Experiment 2, concentrations of PGE and PGF 2α increased ( P ≤ 0.05) with time in all treatment groups of all three synchronization regimens. DETA-NONOate, SNAP, and sodium nitroprusside (NO donors) and ET-1 increased caruncular endometrial ( P ≤ 0.05) secretion of PGE 2 in unsynchronized and Lutalyse synchronized cows, but not when estrus was synchronized with a CIDR ( P ≥ 0.05). No treatment increased ( P ≥ 0.05) PGF 2α in any synchronization regimen. It is concluded that norgestamet in Synchromate-B ear implants or progesterone in a CIDR alters NO or ET-1-induced secretion of PGE by bovine caruncular endometrium and could interfere with implantation by altering the PGE:PGF 2α ratio resulting in increased embryonic losses during early pregnancy.