Possible effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) on early embryo implantation marker HB-EGF in mouse.

Bence Somoskői, Dóra Török, Dóra Reglődi, Andrea Tamás, Balázs D Fülöp, Sándor Cseh

Reproductive biology 2020 Mar

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Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) was originally isolated as a hypothalamic neuropeptide stimulating adenylate cyclase activity. Besides its neuroprotective effects, numerous data proved its role in reproductive processes. However, there are limited data on its role in preimplantation embryo development and implantation. Our aim was to analyse the mRNA expression of Adcyap1 (coding region of PACAP) and Hbegf [coding region of HB-EGF (Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor)] in embryos and pregnant uterus to investigate the possible correlation between them. Eight-week-old BDF1 mice were superovulated and subsequently mated overnight or left in their cage after hCG treatment. Day4 embryos were flushed from mated females. After morphological analysis, Adcyap1 and Hbegf gene expression of embryos and uterine tissues was assessed with qPCR. Our results showed significantly higher Adcyap1 and Hbegf mRNA levels in females producing embryos compared to non-mated ones. Robust elevation of Adcyap1 and slight elevation of Hbegf were detected in females with blastocyst embryos compared with non-blastocysts. We found low rate of Hbegf mRNA expression in uncompacted embryos, whereas morulae and blastocysts expressed high amounts of Hbegf. However, we did not find detectable Adcyap1 mRNA in embryos. Strong correlation was found between uterine tissue and embryonic Hbegf levels, slight correlation between uterine Adcyap1 and Hbegf levels. Uterine tissue Adcyap1 and embryonic Hbegf showed no correlation. In summary, our present data show, for the first time, the correlation between PACAP and HB-EGF mRNA expression suggesting that PACAP might play a role during the peri-implantation period of early mouse embryo development. Copyright © 2020 Society for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Bence Somoskői, Dóra Török, Dóra Reglődi, Andrea Tamás, Balázs D Fülöp, Sándor Cseh. Possible effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) on early embryo implantation marker HB-EGF in mouse. Reproductive biology. 2020 Mar;20(1):9-13