Association between heat stress during intrauterine development and the expression and regulation of ovarian steroid hormone receptors in adult Holstein cows

RODRÍGUEZ, FERNANDA M.; NOTARO, ULISES S.; HUBER, EMILIA; RECCE, SEBASTIÁN; ORTEGA, HUGO H.; SIGNORINI, MARCELO L.; REY, FLORENCIA; SALVETTI, NATALIA R.

REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT

CSIRO PUBLISHING

Año: 2022

1031-3613

Context. Dairy cattle undergostressful situations of environmental origin that affect production. Heatstress during gestation can influence the intrauterine development of theoffspring, resulting in long-term damage that can affect the reproductive life ofthe adult offspring. Aim. Thus, the aim of the presentstudy was to evaluate changes in the expression and regulation of steroidhormone receptors in the ovary of Holstein cows gestated under differenttemperature-humidity index (THI) during their in utero development.Methods.Animals wereclassified by their exposure to THI ≥72 during their development in utero according to date of birth or date of effective service oftheir mother. This study was not carried out under controlled conditions, butthe conditions to which the cows were naturally exposed during theirdevelopment were considered retrospectively, controlling the variables in thestatistical analyses (age as a covariate, dairy farm as a random factor). Gestationwas divided into two periods (P1= days 0-150; and P2= day 151 to calving) andthree trimesters (T1= days 0-90; T2= days 91-180; and T3= day 181 to calving), andthe exposure to THI ≥72 was calculated in each one. The following output variableswere evaluated: gene expression of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), ESR2 and progesteronereceptor (PGR), CpG methylation in the 5’UTR of ESR1 and ESR2, and proteinexpression of ESR1, ESR2, PGR and coregulatory proteins in the dominantfollicles of daughter cows in adulthood. Keyresults.We found associations between heat stress variables during gestation and the methylationstatus of CpG sites in the 5´UTR of ESR1 and ESR2 in dominant follicles. Resultsalso showed association between exposure to high THI values during intrauterinedevelopment and expression of ESR1, ESR2 and PGR and coregulatory proteins in dominantfollicles of adult cows. Conclusions. These results provide novelinformation about the impact of prenatal heat stress on molecular aspects ofreproduction in the offspring.