Role of activin, inhibin and follistatin in the pathogenesis of bovine cystic ovarian disease

STANGAFERRO M; MATILLER, V; DIAZ, PU; ORTEGA HH; REY F; RODRIGUEZ F; SILVA M.A.; SALVETTI NR

ANIMAL REPRODUCTION SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 148 p. 97 - 108

0378-4320

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is an important cause of infertility in dairy cattle. Althoughmany researchers have focused their work on the endocrine changes related to this disease,evidence indicates that intraovarian  components play an important role in follicular per-sistence. Activin, inhibin, and follistatin participate as intraovarian regulatory  moleculesinvolved in follicular cell proliferation, differentiation, steroidogenesis, oocyte  maturation,and corpus luteum function. Given the importance of these factors in folliculogenesis, weexamined the expression and immunolocalization of activin/inhibin [1]A-subunit, inhibin-subunit, and follistatin in the ovaries of healthy estrus-synchronized cows and in thoseof cows with spontaneous or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-induced COD. We alsostudied inhibin B  [1]B) levels in serum and follicular fluid. We found an increased expres-sion of the [1]A-subunit of activin A/inhibin A, the -subunit of inhibin, and follistatin ingranulosa cells of spontaneous follicular cysts by immunohistochemistry, and decreasedconcentrations of inhibin B in the follicular fluid of spontaneous follicular cysts.These results, together with those previously obtained, indicate that the expression of thecomponents of the activin?inhibin?follistatin system is altered. This could lead to mul-tiple alterations in important functions in the ovary like the balance between pro- andanti-apoptotic factors, follicular proliferation/apoptosis, and steroidogenesis, which maycontribute to the follicular persistence and endocrine changes found in cattle with COD.