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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The ruminant conceptus secretes proteins during early pregnancy which maintain the corpus luteum. These trophoblast proteins are related to the alpha II-interferons and prevent luteolysis indirectly by disrupting the secretion of endometrial prostaglandin. Although trophoblast interferons appear to be largely confined to the uterine lumen, it remains possible that they also act peripherally. This report describes in vitro studies which suggest that interferon may influence hormone secretion by the ovary directly. The study employed i) a well defined serum-free culture model in which bovine granulosa cells secrete the luteal hormones progesterone and oxytocin, and ii) serum-free and serum-supplemented cultures of cells from early CL. Dose-response experiments were performed using bovine recombinant alpha-interferon (brIFN). Progesterone and oxytocin secretions were measured over 4-5 days of culture and DNA content was also determined. Low concentrations of brIFN (10(-15) mol/l to 10(-11) mol/l) stimulated progesterone secretion by granulosa cells by up to three fold, without significantly affecting oxytocin concentrations or culture DNA content. Concentrations of 10(-10) mol/l to 10(-1) mol/l suppressed progesterone secretion in a log dose-related manner (r = 0.97) with evidence of toxicity (lower oxytocin concentrations and significantly reduced DNA compared with controls). Progesterone secretion by luteal cells in serum-free culture was stimulated in the presence of 10(-15) mol/l brIFN, whilst high concentrations again caused inhibition. The data show that ovarian cells can respond directly to low concentrations of interferon-like proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Direct stimulation of bovine ovarian progesterone secretion by low concentrations of alpha-interferon. 147 25

Maintenance of corpus luteum (CL) function is essential for establishment of pregnancy in mammals. Estrogens from pig conceptuses (embryo and associated membranes) initiate events that, with prolactin, redirect secretion of the uterine luteolytic hormone prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF) from an endocrine (to uterine veins) to an exocrine (to uterine lumen) direction to prevent luteolysis. Ovine conceptuses secrete ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1), which exhibits high amino acid sequence relatedness with alpha II interferons (IFN alpha II) and inhibits synthesis of endometrial receptors for oxytocin and uterine production of luteolytic pulses of PGF. Estrogens and oTP-1 are local antiluteolytic signals to endometrium, whereas human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) appears to have a direct luteotrophic effect on CL. A progestational endometrium secretes proteins that serve as growth factors, transport proteins, regulatory proteins and enzymes, as well as transporting nutrients into the uterine lumen to support conceptus development.
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PMID:Comparative aspects of conceptus signals for maternal recognition of pregnancy. 206 81