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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 17(7)

Corpus luteum life span and pituitary oestrogen and progesterone receptors in cyclic and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-treated anoestrous ewes

C. Tasende A B C , M. Rodríguez-Piñón A , S. Acuña A , E. G. Garófalo A and M. Forsberg B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Biochemistry, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary, Montevideo, Uruguay.

B Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Pathology, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden.

C Corresponding author. Email: ctasende@adinet.com.uy

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 17(7) 721-726 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD05058
Submitted: 24 May 2005  Accepted: 16 September 2005   Published: 2 November 2005

Abstract

The present study investigated the pituitary oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor concentrations in ewes during the oestrous cycle in the breeding season (n = 19), and in anoestrous ewes treated with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (n = 11) and anoestrous ewes treated with progesterone + GnRH (n = 11). The pituitary ER and PR concentrations at the expected time of ovulation and in the early and late luteal phases were measured by binding assay. The pattern of pituitary ER and PR concentrations in the progesterone + GnRH-treated ewes resembled the pattern found during the normal oestrous cycle, with ER and PR concentrations decreasing from the time of ovulation to the early luteal phase. In contrast, in ewes treated with GnRH alone, ER and PR concentrations increased in the early luteal phase, which may increase the inhibitory effects of steroid hormones on luteinising hormone secretion, ultimately leading to the development of subnormal luteal phases.

Extra keyword: subnormal luteal phase.


Acknowledgments

We would like to thank A. Meikle for constructive criticism of this manuscript, and P. Rubianes and I. Sartore for technical assistance and animal experimentation. The authors wish to thank F. Perdigón and L. Sosa for providing the animals. The present study received financial support from the University of Uruguay CSIC, Veterinary Faculty, CIDEC, PEDECIBA, Uruguay, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.


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