Morphological Changes by Matrix Metalloproteinase Activation and Apoptosis in the Endometrium of Pregnant Water Deer and Spotted Deer
Morphological Changes by Matrix Metalloproteinase Activation and Apoptosis in the Endometrium of Pregnant Water Deer and Spotted Deer
Ji-Hye Lee1, Yong-Su Park2, Min-Gee Oh3 and Sang-Hwan Kim1,3,4*
ABSTRACT
Water deer and sika deer are animals that ovulate without clear signs of estrus, similar to mon-ovulatory species. They are maintained as ‘silent ovulations’ and have a high probability of causing fetal miscarriage during pregnancy. Therefore, this study analyzed the difference in endometrial remodeling between water deer and sika deer and used this as primary data for wild deer restoration. We analyzed the activity of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and apoptosis in uterine tissues during pregnancy in sika deer near the Korean peninsula and in water deer in Korea. Our results showed that the development of the endometrial villus cytotrophoblast zone in sika deer was significantly higher than that in water deer. However, the Ca2+ deposition rate was higher in the villus cytotrophoblasts of water deer. In addition, the expression of insulin-like growth factor1 receptor (IGF1-r) and PAPP-A in sika deer was high in the major binucleate cells (BNCs) of villus cytotrophoblasts, and the activity of MMPs in utero was high in water deer. However, VEGF and apoptosis in BNCs, which mainly constitute the endometrium, were greatly increased in sika deer, suggesting that endometrial changes in sika deer are more dynamic than in water deer.
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