This study aimed to investigate the presence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in bovine oviduct fluid under physiological conditions and to determine the possible role of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOECs) in the regulation of the phagocytic activity of PMNs for sperm. During the pre-ovulatory stage, PMNs were identified in the bovine oviduct fluid in relatively constant numbers. In our experiments, PMNs were incubated for 4 h with the supernatant of cultured BOECs stimulated for 24 h by LH (10 ng/ml). Phagocytosis was then assayed by co-incubation of these PMNs with sperm treated to induce capacitation. The BOEC supernatant significantly suppressed sperm phagocytosis by PMNs, and the LH-stimulated BOEC supernatant further suppressed phagocytosis. Importantly, in the BOEC culture, LH stimulated the secretion of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), which dose-dependently (10 K6 , 10 K7 , and 10 K8 M) suppressed sperm phagocytosis by PMNs. Furthermore, a PGEP 2 receptor antagonist significantly abrogated the inhibition of phagocytosis by the LH-stimulated BOEC supernatant. Additionally, using scanning electron microscopy, incubation of PMNs with either PGE 2 or LH-stimulated BOEC supernatant before phagocytosis was found to prevent the formation of DNA-based neutrophil extracellular traps for sperm entanglement. The results indicate that sperm are exposed to PMNs in the oviduct and PGE 2 released into the oviduct fluid after LH stimulation may play a major role in the suppression of the phagocytic activity of PMNs for sperm via interaction with EP 2 receptors. Thus, the bovine oviduct provides a PGE 2 -rich microenvironment to protect sperm from phagocytosis by PMNs, thereby supporting sperm survival in the oviduct.Free Japanese abstract A Japanese translation of this abstract is freely available at

Abstract. In cows, interferon-tau (IFNT) regulates maternal recognition around days 15-19 after artificial insemination (AI). The present study hypothesized that if key target genes of IFNT are clearly upregulated in earlier stages of pregnancy, these genes could be use as indices of future pregnancy in cows. Therefore, we determined the expression of these genes in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBMCs) and polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) during the maternal recognition period (MRP). Twenty multiparous Holstein cows were subjected to AI on day 0 and categorized into the following groups: pregnancy (Preg, n = 9), embryonic death (ED, n = 5) and non-pregnancy (NP, n = 6). Progesterone levels in the Preg group were higher than those in the NP group on days 12-21. ISG15 and OAS-1 (IFN-stimulated genes: ISGs) mRNA in PBMCs on day 8 was higher in the Preg group than in the NP group, and these mRNAs in PMNs was higher in the Preg group on day 5 than in the NP and ED groups. Interleukin-10 (IL-10, Th2 cytokine) mRNA expression increased on day 8 in the PBMCs of pregnant cows. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, Th1 cytokine) mRNA expression was stable in all groups. In an in vitro cell culture experiment, IFNT stimulated mRNA expression of ISGs in both PBMCs and PMNs. IFNT stimulated IL-10 mRNA expression in PBMCs, whereas IFNT increased TNFα mRNA levels in PBMCs in vitro. The results suggest that ISGs and IL-10 could be responsive to IFNT before the MRP in peripheral blood immune cells and may be useful target genes for reliable indices of pregnancy before the MRP. Key words: Cow, Immune cells, Interferon tau, Pregnancy (J. Reprod. Dev. 58: [84][85][86][87][88][89][90] 2012) D uring the past 5 decades, milk production per cow has dramatically increased because of improved management, nutrition, and genetic selection [1,2]. In contrast, the decreases in fertility and conception rates of the modern high-producing dairy cow are the major causes of economic loss for dairy producers [2,3]. After establishment of pregnancy in domestic ruminants, the conceptus secretes interferon-tau (IFNT) as a maternal recognition factor [4]. IFNT acts in the uterus around day 16 after insemination and prevents luteolysis by inhibiting prostaglandin F 2α release, resulting in the maintenance of corpus luteum function; therefore, this period is termed the maternal recognition period (MRP) [5]. IFNT induces the synthesis and secretion of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) such as ISG15, 2′,5′-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS-1), IFN regulatory factor 1, Mx1 and Mx2 not only in the uterus but also in blood cells in ewes and cows [6][7][8][9][10]. In fact, in bovine peripheral blood leukocytes, ISG15 mRNA levels were higher in pregnant cows than in nonpregnant cows on days 18 and 20 after artificial insemination (AI) [7][8][9]. Technology for the early detection of pregnancy is needed to identify nonpregnant cows and to synchronize and artificially inseminate these cows prior to the next ovulation, and many studies have focused on identify...

No abstract

No abstract

Fracture is one of the most life-threatening injuries in horses. Fracture repair is often associated with unsatisfactory outcomes and is associated with a high incidence of complications. This study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic effects of gelatin/β-tricalcium phosphate (GT) sponges loaded with different concentrations/ratios of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in an equine bone defect model. Seven thoroughbred horses were used in this study. Eight bone defects were created in the third metatarsal bones of each horse. Then, eight treatments, namely control, GT, GT/M-5, GT/M-6, GT/M-5/B-1, GT/M-5/B-3, GT/M-6/B-1, and GT/M-6/B-3 were applied to the eight different sites in a randomized manner (M-5: 2 × 10(5) MSCs; M-6: 2 × 10(6) MSCs; B-1: 1 μg of BMP-2; B-3: 3 μg of BMP-2). Repair of bone defects was assessed by radiography, quantitative computed tomography (QCT), and histopathological evaluation. Radiographic scores and CT values were significantly lower in the control group than in the other groups, while they were significantly higher in the GT/M-5/B-3 and GT/M-6/B-3 groups than in the other groups. The amount of mature compact bone filling the defects was greater in the GT/M-5/B-3 and GT/M-6/B-3 groups than in the other groups. The present study demonstrated that the GT sponge loaded with MSCs and BMP-2 promoted bone regeneration in an equine bone defect model. The GT/MSC/BMP-2 described here may be useful for treating horses with bone injuries.