Pregnancy and bovine somatotropin in nonlactating dairy cows: II. Endometrial gene expression related to maintenance of pregnancy

The objective was to evaluate the effects of pregnancy and bovine somatotropin (bST) on endometrial gene and protein expression related to maintenance of pregnancy in nonlactating dairy cows at d 17. In endometrial tissues, treatment with bST increased the steady state concentration of oxytocin receptor (OTR) mRNA; bST-treated cyclic (bST-C) cows had greater OTR mRNA than bST-treated pregnant (bST-P) cows. Estradiol receptor alpha (ERalpha) mRNA was reduced in bST-P cows compared with control P and C (no bST) cows. Western blotting revealed that pregnancy decreased the abundance of ERalpha protein, and bST stimulated an increase in ERalpha protein in C and P cows. Treatment with bST increased steady state concentrations of progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA. No differences were detected in steady state mRNA concentrations of prostaglandin H synthase-2 (PGHS-2), prostaglandin E synthase, and prostaglandin F synthase due to pregnancy or bST treatment. However, PGHS-2 protein was increased in response to pregnancy and bST treatment. Immunostaining indicated that P decreased ERalpha protein in luminal epithelium and increased PR protein in epithelial cells of the uterine glands. The PR protein response in the glands was less in bST-P cows than in P cows. In the stromal layer of the endometrium, bST decreased PR protein abundance in C and P cows. The PGHS-2 protein was localized exclusively in the luminal epithelium cells of endometrium and was increased in P cows. In conclusion, distinctly different mRNA and protein responses were detected between C and P cows related to prostaglandin biosynthesis, and bST-induced changes may potentially impact mechanisms associated with maintenance of pregnancy in nonlactating cows.