Abstract
Background. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of zinc and/or progesterone via the expression of αvβ5 integrins and Vitronectins and embryonic stem cell markers during the peri-implantation period. Methods. Four experimental groups were organized. All subjects were mated with males of the same strain to induce pregnancy; after 5 days, zinc and/or progesterone were administered. Blood levels of zinc and progesterone were determined on the sixth day and endometrial tissues were obtained in order to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of integrins and embryonic stem cell markers. Results. The αvβ5 integrin and vitronectin expression increased in the zinc group compared with the control group and no difference in the progesterone group and zinc + progesterone group. Expression of Klf-4, Sox-2, and c-Myc was found to be increased in the zinc group compared to controls, while no difference was determined between the progesterone, zinc + progesterone, and control groups. Distinctively, expression of the embryonic stem cell marker Oct-4 was increased in all of the experimental groups. Conclusions. Expression of αvβ5 integrin, vitronectin, and embryonic stem cell markers might be increased by the administration of zinc. Our results suggest that zinc could be useful in the induction of implantation rates.
Highlights
Today, infertility is an important health problem due to the increased age of those individuals wishing to have children
Among all of the experimental groups, immunoreactivity of vitronectin revealed findings of increased expression especially for the zinc group in the superficial stroma and glandular epithelium, as well as in the basal layer of the endometrium, while the controls and other experimental groups did not show any difference in the basal levels of immunoexpression (Figure 2)
Vitronectin is located in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the endometrium
Summary
Infertility is an important health problem due to the increased age of those individuals wishing to have children. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of zinc and/or progesterone via the expression of αvβ integrins and Vitronectins and embryonic stem cell markers during the peri-implantation period. Blood levels of zinc and progesterone were determined on the sixth day and endometrial tissues were obtained in order to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of integrins and embryonic stem cell markers. The αvβ integrin and vitronectin expression increased in the zinc group compared with the control group and no difference in the progesterone group and zinc + progesterone group. Expression of the embryonic stem cell marker Oct-4 was increased in all of the experimental groups. Expression of αvβ integrin, vitronectin, and embryonic stem cell markers might be increased by the administration of zinc. Our results suggest that zinc could be useful in the induction of implantation rates
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