Studies of Oestrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Reproductive Organs of Prepubertal Gilts with Reproductive Disturbance

Abstract

The present study aims to study the localization of steroid receptor, oestrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor by immunohistochemical technique in the reproductive organs of prepubertal culling gilts with reproductive disturbance. The genital organs from 20 culled gilts before puberty were collected. Historical data, reasons of culling and the macroscopic lesions of the reproductive tracts were recorded. The results of immunohistochemistry revealed that the expression of ER and PR was lower in prepubertal gilts with reproductive lesion compared to normal gilts. However, a significant difference was found only in some compartments of the cervix and uterus. In the cervix, a significant lower expression of PR was found in the surface epithelium and muscular layer of culling gilts with reproductive disturbance while the expression of ERα was similar between these groups of gilts. In the uterus, significant differences were observed for ERα score in the stroma and the myometrium, while PR immunostaining was significantly lower only in the myometrium of prepubertal gilts with reproductive lesion. Comparing between different compartments of the reproductive tissues, it was found that the muscular layers both in the cervix and the uterus were the most dynamic tissue for the changes of steroid receptors. The results from
the present study showed the difference in the expression of ERα and PR in different reproductive organs of culled gilts. The changes in the expression of these steroid receptors in some compartments of the cervix and uterus may involve with pathological status found in these culled gilts. As the regulation of steroid hormones through the expression of their receptors differed according to specific cell types, therefore their expression between normal and reproductive failure gilts should also vary. Moreover, the expression of ERα and PR in the reproductive organs of
culled gilts indicated that there are responses to the influence of these steroid hormones and therefore, may have significant roles in reproductive physiology as well as pathology.