A role for Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) during implantation in the mare

Villani, M.;Vriend, B.A.M;Paris, D.B.B.P.;Stout, T.A.E

Abstract

The majority of early pregnancy losses in the mare occur between days 15 and 45 of gestation, i.e. the period in which the conceptus must form a stable attachment with the endometrium (Allen, 2001). At present, little is known about the pathways that regulate equine implantation, orhow‘implantation failure’ contributes to pregnancy loss. Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) plays a critical role in murine blastocyst development and implantation, as demonstrated by the failure of wild-type embryos to survive in the uterus of LIF-knockout dams unless the latter receive LIF supplementation (Stewart et al., 1992). Expression of LIF and its receptors (LIF-R and gp130) in the pregnant horse has not been reported. However, the horse is an interesting species in which to study ‘implantation’ because conceptus–endometrium apposition and attachment occurs over an unusually prolonged interval. The aim of this study was to examine gene expression for LIF, LIF-R and gp130 in the early conceptus, and in the endometrium of cycling and early pregnant mares.

Journal

Animal Reproduction Science

Publication Name

Animal Reproduction Science

Volume

121S

ISBN/ISSN

1873-2232

Edition

N/A

Issue

1-2

Pages Count

Location

N/A

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

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Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1016/j.anireprosci.2010.04.060