title: Infertility associated with the absence of endometrial progesterone receptors in a bitch.
abstract: A three-year-old intact female Old English sheepdog was presented for evaluation of infertility. A uterine biopsy was performed during dioestrus, and the microscopic appearance was inconsistent with progesterone stimulation; the glands were sparse, simple and failed to show coiling, while the glandular epithelium was cuboidal instead of columnar. There was very little evidence of glandular activity. Due to the inappropriate appearance of the glands for the stage of the cycle, immunohistochemistry for progesterone receptors was performed. No progesterone receptor-positive immunoreactivity was identified in the endometrial luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium or stroma. Weak intranuclear immunoreactivity was identified within the smooth muscle cells of the myometrium. The absence of progesterone receptors within the endometrial glands is the most likely explanation for the abnormal appearance of the endometrium and for this bitch's infertility. To our knowledge, this is the first report of endometrial progesterone receptor absence in a bitch.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dockweiler
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cossic
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buckles
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cheong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone