title: Antioxidant enzymatic defence systems in sheep corpus luteum throughout pregnancy.
abstract: The activities of copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1), manganese SOD (SOD2), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were studied in sheep corpora lutea (CL) obtained on days 15, 40, 60, 80 and 128 of pregnancy. Maintained enzymatic activity of SOD1, SOD2, GPX, GSSG-R and GST were found in the sheep CL throughout pregnancy. Enzymatic activity of SOD1, GPX and GST increased significantly from day 15 to day 40 of pregnancy, and thereafter remained constant until day 128. SOD2 and GSSG-R activities were not different between any days of pregnancy examined. Apoptotic luteal cells identified by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated fluorescein-dUTP nick-end labelling were very rarely observed, and their incidence (less than 0.5%) was not different between days of pregnancy. These results showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the sheep CL are subject to major changes during early pregnancy, suggesting that the CL of early pregnancy may be rescued from luteolysis through increasing activities of key antioxidant enzymes and inhibition of apoptosis. Maintained levels of antioxidant enzymes in the CL throughout pregnancy may be linked to reactive oxygen species continuously generated in the steroidogenically active luteal cells, and may be involved in the maintenance of luteal steroidogenic activity and cellular integrity.
authors.affiliation: UMR Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas cedex, France. algubory@jouy.inra.fr
authors.forename: Kaïs H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Al-Gubory
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bolifraud
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicole
authors.forename: Irène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceballos-Picot
authors.forename: Irène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ceballos-Bicot
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D017209:Apoptosis; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D003340:Corpus Luteum Maintenance; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012756:Sheep; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D011374:Progesterone; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D000099156:Superoxide Dismutase 2