Steroid hormones regulate sperm–oviduct interactions in the bovine

Abstract

After insemination in the cow, a sperm reservoir is formed within the oviducts, allowing the storage and then progressive release of spermatozoa toward the ovulated oocyte. In order to investigate the hormonal regulation of these events , the ovarian steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were added at various concentrations to monolayers of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) before or during co-incubation with spermatozoa. Main findings demonstrate that (1) a 18-h pretreatment of BOEC with 100 pg/mL and 100 ng/mL of E2 decreased by 25% the ability of BOEC to bind spermatozoa after 10 min, and for the highest dose of E2, 60 min of co-incubation; (2) P4 at concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 ng/mL induced the release within 60 min of 32-47% of bound spermatozoa from BOEC; this sperm-releasing effect was maintained after a 18-h pretreatment of BOEC with 100 pg/mL of E2; (3) E2 in concentrations above 100 pg/mL inhibited the releasing effect of P4 on bound sperm in a dose-dependent manner; (4) spermatozoa bound to BOEC, then released from BOEC by the action of P4-induced higher cleavage and blastocyst rates after fertilization than the control group. These results support the hypothesis that the dynamic changes in steroid hormones around the time of ovulation regulate the formation of the sperm reservoir and the timed delivery of capacitated spermatozoa to the site of fertilization.

The role of semen and seminal plasma in inducing large-scale genomic changes in the female porcine peri-ovulatory tract

“…In addition, previous studies suggest that seminal estrogen has a positive effect on sperm transport and fertilization and is also responsible for rapid sperm elimination from the uterus through the cervix in the pig 71 . It has also been reported that sperm binding to the oviductal cells is triggered by high concentrations of estrogen within the oviduct 72,73 . Interestingly, the SP-P1 group showed an overrepresentation of the Estrogen signaling pathway in our study.…”

Review: Recent advances in bovine in vitro embryo production: reproductive biotechnology history and methods

“…Once sperm reach the utero-tubal junction, sperm will be trapped and released progressively to reach the oocyte at the fertilization site. The use of an in vitro model of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOECs) cultured as monolayers showed that sperm bind spontaneously to the cells and are released by progesterone and that sperm that have been bound to BOECs and released by progesterone action displayed a higher fertilization potential than those of the control (Lamy et al, 2017). A comparative proteomic analysis of bound v. control sperm showed that a total of 27 proteins are captured by the sperm (Lamy et al, 2018).…”

Sperm Proteome after Interaction with Reproductive Fluids in Porcine: From the Ejaculation to the Fertilization Site

“…Spermatozoa incubated with OF or SP + OF also showed the myosin heavy chain 9, a protein previously described in human spermatozoa, where it plays a role in oviductin binding to the sperm surface [ 91 ]. Lamy et al [ 92 ] suggested the formation of a complex between myosin heavy chain 9 and two other proteins, oviductin and actin cytoplasmic 1, involved in modulating the capacitation process. Another protein, cofilin-1, was detected in the OF and SP + OF groups, and it is a protein that participates in sperm capacitation, inducing the acrosome reaction, as shown in humans [ 93 ].…”