TY - JOUR
T1 - Detection of Fas ligand in the bovine oviduct
AU - Bergqvist, Ann Sofi
AU - Killian, Gary
AU - Erikson, David
AU - Hoshino, Yumi
AU - Båge, Renée
AU - Sato, Eimei
AU - Rodríguez-Martínez, Heriberto
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge Åsa Jansson, Dave Chapman and Helle Ruby for their skillful technical assistance, and Lars-Inge Larsson, KVL, for technical guidance with the TUNEL method. Funding was provided by FORMAS, formerly the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research (SJFR) and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT), and by the “SLU-Japan Programme on Reproductive Biotechnology”, Stockholm, Sweden. Additional international study grants to A-S. Bergqvist by SLU and KSLA are acknowledged.
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - Presence of a Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) system defines the immune-privileged status of certain tissues such as placenta. This study examined the fluids and tissue(s) of the bovine oviduct, where both spermatozoa and early embryos escape elimination by the female immune system, for the presence and the distribution of Fas and FasL, which might provide an explanation for the immune-privilegded site of this organ. In the present study, the immunolocalisation of FasL and Fas, as well as the gene expression of FasL, were determined in the uterotubal junction (UTJ), isthmic (I) and ampullar (A) segments of the oviduct during oestrus and the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle. The degree of apoptosis of oviductal epithelium was examined by the TUNEL method. Oviductal fluid (ODF), collected chronically via indwelling catheters from the I or A segments during both non-luteal and luteal phases of the cycle, was analysed for the presence of FasL. The Fas immunostaining was scattered along the epithelium of all regions of the oviduct and cycle stages investigated, whereas FasL immunolabelling was more conspicuous in oestrous samples. This staining disappeared during the luteal phase, which was particularly evident in the sperm reservoir (UTJ and I). There were fewer TUNEL-positive cells than Fas- or FasL-positive cells in the oviductal epithelium, suggesting that tubal Fas and FasL are not directly involved in epithelial apoptosis. Western blot analyses detected FasL in ODF collected from both I and A, most conspicuously as a 24-27 kDa band but also at a 40-45 kDa band level. FasL mRNA was expressed in the epithelial cells from the sperm reservoir and A during both non-luteal and luteal phases. However, the level of expression differed significantly between segments during the luteal phase. The results provide novel evidence that the Fas-FasL system is present in the bovine oviduct and could be involved in mediating survival of spermatozoa and early embryos.
AB - Presence of a Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) system defines the immune-privileged status of certain tissues such as placenta. This study examined the fluids and tissue(s) of the bovine oviduct, where both spermatozoa and early embryos escape elimination by the female immune system, for the presence and the distribution of Fas and FasL, which might provide an explanation for the immune-privilegded site of this organ. In the present study, the immunolocalisation of FasL and Fas, as well as the gene expression of FasL, were determined in the uterotubal junction (UTJ), isthmic (I) and ampullar (A) segments of the oviduct during oestrus and the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle. The degree of apoptosis of oviductal epithelium was examined by the TUNEL method. Oviductal fluid (ODF), collected chronically via indwelling catheters from the I or A segments during both non-luteal and luteal phases of the cycle, was analysed for the presence of FasL. The Fas immunostaining was scattered along the epithelium of all regions of the oviduct and cycle stages investigated, whereas FasL immunolabelling was more conspicuous in oestrous samples. This staining disappeared during the luteal phase, which was particularly evident in the sperm reservoir (UTJ and I). There were fewer TUNEL-positive cells than Fas- or FasL-positive cells in the oviductal epithelium, suggesting that tubal Fas and FasL are not directly involved in epithelial apoptosis. Western blot analyses detected FasL in ODF collected from both I and A, most conspicuously as a 24-27 kDa band but also at a 40-45 kDa band level. FasL mRNA was expressed in the epithelial cells from the sperm reservoir and A during both non-luteal and luteal phases. However, the level of expression differed significantly between segments during the luteal phase. The results provide novel evidence that the Fas-FasL system is present in the bovine oviduct and could be involved in mediating survival of spermatozoa and early embryos.
KW - Bovine
KW - Fas
KW - Fas ligand
KW - Immune-privilege
KW - Oviduct
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U2 - 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2004.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2004.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 15721660
AN - SCOPUS:13744260436
SN - 0378-4320
VL - 86
SP - 71
EP - 88
JO - Animal Reproduction Science
JF - Animal Reproduction Science
IS - 1-2
ER -