Effects of spermatozoa-oviductal cell coincubation time and oviductal cell age on spermatozoa-oviduct interactions

Reprod Fertil Dev. 2014 Jan;26(2):358-65. doi: 10.1071/RD12222.

Abstract

The oviduct plays a crucial role in sperm storage, maintenance of sperm viability and sperm transport to the site of fertilisation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oviductal cell culture passage number, oviductal cell age and spermatozoa-oviduct coincubation times on gene expression in oviductal cells. Immortalised oviductal epithelial cells (OPEC) obtained from two different cell passages (36 and 57) were subcultured three times with and without spermatozoa for 24 h (control group). In a second study, OPEC were cocultured with spermatozoa for different time intervals (0, 4, 12 and 24 h). Expression of adrenomedullin (ADM), heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8) and prostaglandin E synthase (PGES) in OPEC was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of ADM and HSPA8 was decreased significantly in OPEC cells from Passage 57, particularly in the later subculture group. These effects on HSPA8, but not ADM, expression in OPEC were further altered after coculture with spermatozoa for 24 h. We also demonstrated that spermatozoa-oviduct coculture for 12 and 24 h resulted in significantly higher expression of ADM, HSPA8 and PGES in OPEC. Overall, the data suggest that the OPEC lose some of their properties as a result of oviductal cell aging and that there are spermatozoa-oviduct interactions leading to increased oviductal cell gene expression.

MeSH terms

  • Adrenomedullin / genetics
  • Adrenomedullin / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Communication*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cellular Senescence*
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / metabolism
  • Male
  • Oviducts / cytology
  • Oviducts / metabolism
  • Oviducts / physiology*
  • Prostaglandin-E Synthases
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*
  • Swine
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Adrenomedullin
  • Intramolecular Oxidoreductases
  • Prostaglandin-E Synthases