Immunolocalisation of c-Fos, ELOVL5 and oestradiol in the ewe vulva in relation to oestrus behaviour after treatment with lipopolysaccharide.

Dobson, Hilary ORCID: 0000-0003-2253-4874, Tilston, Valerie and Ressel, Lorenzo ORCID: 0000-0002-6614-1223 (2019) Immunolocalisation of c-Fos, ELOVL5 and oestradiol in the ewe vulva in relation to oestrus behaviour after treatment with lipopolysaccharide. Reproduction in Domestic Animals: physiology, pathology, biotechnology, 55 (2). pp. 137-145.

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Abstract

Sudden activation of the stress axis by a lipopolysaccharide endotoxin (LPS) significantly reduces ewes' sexual attractivity to rams by delaying all signs of oestrus behaviour. To understand mechanisms involved in attracting male interest, we examined c-Fos (nuclear activation), ELOVL5 (enzyme involved in pheromone synthesis) and oestradiol receptors (ER) using immunohistochemistry on ewe vulval tissue at 0, 31 and 40 hr in the ovarian follicular phase with or without exposure to LPS at 28 hr (5 groups of 4 ewes per group). While there was intense staining for immunoreactive (IR)-c-Fos and IR-ELOVL5 in the vulval epithelia and sebaceous glands, there were no differences in intensity between groups of ewes. Absence of IR-ER staining in vulval epithelium and sebaceous/sweat glands was unexpected. Differences in ram behaviour towards ewes in the ovarian follicular phase and after LPS treatment do not appear to involve quantitative changes in vulval c-Fos, ELOVL5 or ER, but subtle qualitative differences in individual specific compounds (attraction pheromones) remain an option.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	c-Fos, ELOVL5, immunohistochemistry, oestradiol receptor, vulva
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	09 Dec 2019 10:32
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 00:15
DOI:	10.1111/rda.13594
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3065016