Role of the Insulin-like Growth Factor-II and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins in Bovine Cystic Ovarian Disease

REY F; RODRÍGUEZ FM; SALVETTI NR; PALOMAR MM; BARBEITO CG; ORTEGA HH

JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2010 vol. 142 p. 193 - 204

0021-9975

Cystic ovarian disease (COD) is one of the most common reproductive disorders in cattle, and the mechanism leading to their development was proposed to be of multifactorial etiology. While an accepted hypothesis involves a neuroendocrinological dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, the association of growth factors and COD in different species is discussed. In order to elucidate the role of IGF family members, in the present study we assess IGF-II and IGFBPs gene expression and IGF-II immunolocalization in follicular wall as well as the IGF-II protein levels in follicular fluid. Results obtained evidenced a tendency to increase IGF-II mRNA detected in follicular wall of cystic follicles expressed mainly in granulosa cells. A significant increase in IGF-II protein in granulosa and theca cells in cystic follicles without modification of IGF-II in follicular fluid was evidenced. Total IGFBPs assessed by western ligand blots, were similar in different structures, however discriminating each IGFBP, we observed a tendency to decrease the IGFBP-2 levels in cystic follicles, that could be related with the higher levels of IGF-II observed. In summary, the present study provides evidence to suggest that cystic ovarian disease in cattle is associated with modifications in the IGF-II system.