ARYLHYDROCARBON RECEPTOR (AHR) EXPRESSION IN BOVINE OVARY AND UTERUS DURING ESTROUS CYCLE AND EARLY PREGNANCY :AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University

Abstract

he arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand activated transcription factor. The AhR was found in embryos, fetuses and in genital tract tissues of some lab animals and human; However, Its role in reproduction and fertility in different species is still to be elucidated.
By employing immunohistochemistry in the current study, AhR expression was studied in bovine ovary and uterus in cyclic and early pregnant cows . 
In the ovary; during estrous, AhR was expressed in the stromal (interstitial) cells while in diestrous  and early pregnancy it was found in luteal and stromal cells. In the uterus, during diestrous, the receptor was always expressed in connective cells and in the endometrial epithelium  showing localized cytoplasmic staining apical to the nucleus; nuclear staining was only observed in  the uterine glands. During estrous, the receptor was only localized in the connective tissue cells while the epithelium was immunonegative. In the uterus at day 13 of early pregnancy, similar staining pattern as with diestrous was recorded. Myometrium was always immunonegative.
Taken together, AhR was expressed during diestrous and early pregnancy in the endometrial epithelium and  corpus luteum and during estrous was mainly in stromal cells in both uterus and ovary. The obtained results points to a relationship between the AhR up regulation and the  hormone-induced cellular changes in cyclic and early pregnant cows.

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Kafrelsheikh Veterinary Medical Journal
Volume 5, Issue 2
October 2007
Pages 74-93

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