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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on November 25, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dei404
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received May 24, 2005
Revised August 9, 2005
Accepted October 18, 2005

Article

Activin receptor expression and induction of apoptosis in rat blastocysts in vitro

F. Debiève 1 *, L. Hinck 1, J.-M. Biard 1, P. Bernard 1, and C. Hubinont 1

1 OBST Research Unit, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
F. Debiève, E-mail: debieve{at}obst.ucl.ac.be


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis, a process of normal embryonic development, is enhanced in blastocyst from diabetic rats. Nevertheless, glucose seems not to be the only factor involved. Activin A, a TGF-{beta} family member, is also increased in maternal serum from diabetic pregnancy. METHODS: Flushing medium, blastocysts and uterine cells were obtained from 5 day old pregnant rats. The presence of activin A in flushing medium was investigated by western blotting. RT-PCR was used to test for the presence of activin {beta}A subunit mRNA in cultured uterine cells. Blastocysts were stained by immunohistochemistry for activin receptor types IIA and IIB, and chromatin degradation (apoptosis) was investigated by terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling in blastocysts exposed in vitro to activin. RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrate the presence of activin A protein in fluid from rat uterine horns at day 5 of pregnancy, as well as the presence of activin A receptors type IIB in the trophectoderm and inner cell mass and activin A receptor type IIA in trophectoderm cells only. Activin A increases the chromatin degradation level in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Activin A protein was found in fluid from uterine horns, and mRNA expression of {beta}A activin subunit in cultured uterine cells suggests probable secretion from decidual cells. Moreover, activin A increases specifically the apoptosis level in rat blastocyst in vitro.

Keywords: activin/apoptosis/blastocyst/rat.
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