ARS | Publication request: TRANSFERRIN IN UTERINE FLUSHINGS AND CONCEPTUS FLUIDS DURING THE ESTROUS CYCLE AND PREGNANCY IN SWINE

Submitted to: Biology of Reproduction Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 22, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Cyclic (C; n=19) and pregnant (P; n=26) gilts were killed (days 7, 10, 13, 16 C and P and day 19 P) and each uterine horn was flushed with 20 ml 0.1x leucine minimum essential medium (MEM). Later P (n=25) gilts were killed (days 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90) and pooled allantoic fluid and serum samples (except day 25) were collected for each gilt. Uterine flushings, allantoic fluid and serum samples were assayed for transferrrin (TF) and acid phosphatase (AP; a measure of uteroferrin (UF); results reported by Christenson et al., Biol. Reprod. 52(Suppl. 1):167; J. Anim. Sci. 73(Suppl. 1):214). TF in samples was measured using a 59Fe ligand blotting technique. After log transformation, the TF content in uterine flushings did not differ between C and P gilts, was low on day 7 (0.023+/-0.0260 and 0.008+/-0.0009 relative units [RU], respectively), and increased (p < 0.01) to day 16 (3.91+/-4.44 and 1.94+/-2.20 RU, respectively). TF concentration in allantoic fluid was low on day 25 (0.007+/-0.004 RU) and 30 (0.016+/-0.006 RU), increased (p < 0.01) on day 40 (0.25+/-0.14 RU), was stable to day 80 (0.31+/-0.18 RU) and then decreased (p < 0.01) on day 90 (0.06+/-0.06 RU). Fetal serum TF increased (p < 0.01) from day 30 (3.7+/-0.67 RU) to day 50 (13.0+/- 2.94 RU), was similar on day 60 (11.2+/-2.53 RU) and then decreased (p < 0.01) by day 80 (2.5+/-0.57 RU) and remained low on day 90 (2.3+/-0.52 RU). TF and AP were strongly correlated in uterine flushings (r=.91; p < 0.01), allantoic fluid (r=.93; p < 0.01) and fetal serum (r=.72; p < 0.01). Thus, TF and UF are closely associated during pregnancy strengthening the proposed role of transferrin in protecting against uteroferrin induced lipid peroxidation.