Expression of androgen receptor and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in corpora lutea during pregnancy in the rat
M. Szołtys A B , M. Słomczyńska A , J. Galas A , M. Duda A and A. Sakiewicz AA Laboratory of Endocrinology and Tissue Culture, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
B Corresponding author. Email: msol@zuk.iz.uj.edu.pl
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 19(2) 356-365 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD06095
Submitted: 21 August 2006 Accepted: 23 October 2006 Published: 29 January 2007
Abstract
Immunoexpression of androgen receptor (AR) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) was investigated in three generations of corpora lutea (CLs), found in the ovaries of rats on Days 1, 2, 5, 9, 14 and 20 of pregnancy. The youngest generation of CLs functioned during the whole pregnancy, whereas the older and the oldest generations underwent earlier regression. The newly formed CLs exhibited weak cytoplasmic 3β-HSD expression. During subsequent days, a gradual increase in 3β-HSD immunolabelling was observed, followed by a decrease on Day 20. In the older and the oldest CLs, surviving luteal cells demonstrated strong, although in the oldest CLs mostly perinuclear, 3β-HSD immunoreaction. The newly formed CLs showed weak nuclear AR immunolabelling, which became stronger during the following days. On Day 20, luteal cells demonstrated a weaker nuclear immunoreaction. The older and oldest generations of CLs exhibited weaker and almost negative AR immunolabelling, respectively. Of special interest was the richly vascularised apical region of young CLs. Here luteal cells with more intensive 3β-HSD staining predominated, whereas cytoplasmic AR immunoreaction was accompanied by positive or negative nuclear AR immunoexpression. The present studies showed differences in AR and 3β-HSD distribution within various generations of CLs and within particular regions of the same young CL.
Acknowledgements
Research on the expression of AR was supported by the State Committee for Scientific Research as a Solicited Project PBZ-KBN-084/PO6/2002 from 2002 to 2005, and studies concerning the expression of 3β-HSD were supported by DS/BiNoZ/IZ/770/2007.
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