title: Short communication: Urea induces T helper 2 (Th2) type environment at transcriptional level and prostaglandin E2 secretion in bovine oviduct epithelial cells in culture.
abstract: Excess dietary protein intake in early lactation dairy cows resulting in blood urea nitrogen of greater than 19 to 20mg/dL is associated with decreased fertility. Little is known about the local interference of urea in the normal immunological environment of the oviduct that provides optimal conditions for early reproductive events. A bovine oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC) culture was used to determine how urea influences immune environment. The BOEC monolayer was supplemented with low (20mg/dL) and high (40mg/dL) concentrations of urea together with ovarian steroids, estradiol (1ng/mL) and progesterone (1ng/mL), and LH (10ng/mL) at concentrations observed during the preovulatory period. The urea values used in this study were equivalent to 9.3 and 18.7mg/dL of blood urea nitrogen, which are typically common in lactating dairy cows with low or high protein intake, respectively. Stimulation of BOEC with 40mg/dL of urea induced gene expression of IL10 and IL4, epithelial-derived T helper type 2-driving (anti-inflammatory) cytokines as well as mPGES-1 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion. However, urea concentrations of both 20 and 40mg/dL failed to alter the expression of IL1B and TNFA, Th1-driving cytokines, and the gene expression of TLR4. However, a concentration of 40mg/dL of urea stimulated α 1-acid glycoprotein expression, an acute phase protein. Data from this in vitro study suggest that urea, at least in part, contributes to influence the expression of some immune-related genes toward T helper type 2 type and prostaglandin E2 secretion, leading to disruption in local environment for fertilization and early embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran. Electronic address: Rasoul_kowsarzar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kowsar
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhur University, Behera, Egypt 22511.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marey
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015232:Dinoprostone; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005187:Fallopian Tubes; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014508:Urea; D015232:Dinoprostone
keywords: bovine oviduct epithelial cell; immune response; urea