Altered galectin expression in the ovary of cows with induced follicular persistence

CHIARAVIGLIO JA; ETCHEVERS L; ORMAECHEA N; DÍAZ PU; ORTEGA HH; REY F; SALVETTI NR

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2022

In dairy cattle, reproductivealterations cause important economiclosses. Cystic ovarian disease is one of the most important reproductive alterations characterized by follicles larger than 20mm in diameter that persist for atleast 10 days in the absence of corpusluteum and uterine tone and interrupting estral cycles. Galectins are proteins with affinity for polylactosamines residuesthat have different functions inthe regulation of apoptosis and proliferation. The objective of this study was to characterize galectinsexpression in ovarian follicularstructures in cows with follicular persistence induced model. Galectins (Gal) 1, 3, 4 and 7 were detected byimmunohistochemistry in dominant (DF) and persistent follicles(PF). The model was performed byusing an intravaginal progesterone device and obtaining ovaries with DF in the expected day ofovulation (n=5; P0) and PF at 5(n=5; P5), 10 (n=5; P10) or 15 days (n=5; P15) relative to the expected day of ovulation. Controls cows wereovariectomized in proestrus (n=5). Gal 1, Gal3, Gal4 and Gal7 weredetected and evaluated in thenucleus and cytoplasm in granulosa and theca cells of DF and PF. The expression of Gal1 in thenucleus of granulosa of PF of P5was lower than in DF from control group (p<0,05). The expression of Gal3 was lower in the cytoplasm oftheca cells of PF of P15 group thanDF of control group (p<0,05). The expression of Gal4 in the cytoplasm of both granulosa and thecacells was higher in PF of P10 andP15 than DF of control group (p<0,05). The expression of Gal7 was lower in the nucleus ofgranulosa cells of PF of P10 groupthan DF of control group (p<0,05). This altered expression of different galectins could participated in thedevelopment and persistence ofdominant follicles leading to develop and maintain cystic follicles.