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Biomedical subjects

A I Musah

Publications and source records attributed to A I Musah.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Relaxin, oxytocin, and prostaglandin effects on progesterone secretion from bovine luteal cells during different stages of gestation.

To determine the effects of relaxin, oxytocin, and prostaglandin F2 alpha on progesterone secretion, bovine luteal cells from different stages of gestation were dispersed in Medium 199 with 200 units/ml penicillin, 1.0% kanamycin, 0.5% bovine serum albumin, and 400 units/ml collagenase. Cells (10(5) were cultured in 400 microliters of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and Ham's F-12 medium containing fetal bovine serum and antibiotics, in Falcon multiwell plates, in a humidified environment of 95% O2 and 5% CO2 at 37 degrees C. Cells were cultured for 24 hr without treatment and thereafter with medium-hormone replacement every 24 hr. Progesterone was quantified from unextracted media by radioimmunoassay. Basal progesterone secretion after 24 hr was 1.81 +/- 0.14, 1.76 +/- 0.17, 0.54 +/- 0.49, and 0.57 +/- 0.21 pg/ml per viable luteal cell from 145-, 165-, 185-, and 240-day-old corpora lutea, respectively. Basal progesterone secretion increased (P less than 0.05) with time in culture. Relaxin induced a dose-dependent (greater than 100 ng/ml) increase in progesterone release, compared with the controls. Oxytocin and prostaglandin F2 alpha induced greater release (P less than 0.05) of progesterone than relaxin at all stages of gestation, but progesterone release was dependent on the stage of gestation and the duration in culture. Luteinizing hormone (100 ng/ml) stimulated whereas 17 beta-estradiol (50 ng/ml) inhibited progesterone secretion by luteal cells at all stages of gestation examined. Relaxin obliterated the prostaglandin- and oxytocin-induced progesterone secretion by bovine luteal cells from 145 to 214 days of gestation. Thus, relaxin, cloprostenol, and oxytocin regulate progesterone production by cultured bovine luteal cells, but hormone secretion was dependent on the stage of gestation.

Animals

Relaxin regulates oxytocin secretion in late-pregnant beef heifers.

The effects of porcine relaxin (3000 units/mg) on oxytocin (OT) and progesterone secretion were studied in beef heifers on Day 274 (10 days before expected parturition). Heifers (n = 11) were randomly assigned to three treatments: relaxin iv infusions combined with im injection (RLX-INF, 9000 units), relaxin im injection (RLX-im, 6000 units), and phosphate-buffered saline-treated controls (PBS). RLX-INF heifers received infusions of PBS and 1000 units of relaxin for 165 min, followed by 2000 units of relaxin im and finally 2000 units of relaxin infusion followed by 4000 units of relaxin im. Endogenous relaxin (immunoreactive) in the PBS-treated group was 0.2-0.9 ng/ml peripheral plasma. For the RLX-im group, peak relaxin was 81 +/- 12 ng/ml (+/- SE) at 45 min after treatment. There were two peaks of relaxin, 18 +/- 5.3 ng/ml and 74 +/- 7.5 ng/ml, 3.5-4.5 hr apart in the RLX-INF group. Significant peak releases of OT were evident in the relaxin-treated heifers. For the RLX-im group, an OT peak (42 +/- 16 pg/ml) occurred within 30 min after relaxin treatment. For the RLX-INF heifers, 2000 and 4000 units of relaxin were associated with major peaks of 14 +/- 0.5 and 43 +/- 1.7 pg/ml OT, respectively. Basal OT plasma levels in the PBS group were 2.5-3.1 pg/ml. Mean plasma progesterone for all heifers was 6.2 +/- 2.11 ng/ml before treatment. There was a significant decrease in progesterone (-2.5 ng/ml) in the RLX-im group within 60 min after relaxin treatment and 45 min after peak OT secretion. The maximum decrease in progesterone (-3.2 +/- 0.68 ng/ml) occurred 135 min after treatment in the RLX-im group. In the RLX-INF group, 2000 units of relaxin infusion combined with 4000 units of relaxin im significantly decreased progesterone (-3.2 +/- 1.59 ng/ml) in peripheral plasma. These results clearly indicate that relaxin causes an acute peak release of oxytocin within 30 min, followed by a marked decrease in plasma progesterone concentration in late-pregnancy cattle.

Animals

Induction of parturition, progesterone secretion, and delivery of placenta in beef heifers given relaxin with cloprostenol or dexamethasone.

Sixty primiparous beef heifers from a crossbreeding study were used to examine the effects of inducing parturition with relaxin (3,000 U/mg) combined with cloprostenol (500 micrograms, i.m., n = 30) or dexamethasone (20 mg, i.m., n = 30) at Day 273, 10 +/- 1 days before expected parturition (Day 283). Heifers were assigned at random within cloprostenol and dexamethasone groups to receive relaxin (1 mg, n = 5/treatment), i.m. or in the cervical os (OS), at 0 h (the same time as cloprostenol and dexamethasone) or 24 h later. Eleven and six first-calving heifers and sixteen and nine second-calving cows also received cloprostenol + relaxin and cloprostenol + phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. Radioimmunoassay of daily plasma samples indicated an abrupt decrease in progesterone with time (p less than 0.001), from 7.5 +/- 0.50 to 1.0 +/- 0.30 ng/ml (mean +/- SE) within 48 h for all groups. The mean rate of progesterone decrease (ng/ml in 24 h) was accelerated (p less than 0.01) in relaxin-treated heifers (5.3 +/- 0.36), in contrast to dexamethasone- and cloprostenol-treated control heifers (2.8 +/- 0.40). Relaxin combined with cloprostenol or dexamethasone shortened the calving period in these heifers by reducing the interval between treatment and calving (33 vs. 56 h; p less than 0.01). The incidence and duration of retained placenta were reduced by 22 vs. 75% and 14 vs. 34 h for relaxin combined with cloprostenol or dexamethasone as compared with cloprostenol- or dexamethasone-treated controls, respectively (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Acute decrease in progesterone and increase in estrogen secretion caused by relaxin during late pregnancy in beef heifers.

Purified porcine relaxin (3000 U/mg) was administered im (RLX-IM; 1 mg; n = 2) and in the cervical os (RLX-OS; 1 mg; n = 2) on day 273 (approximately 10 days before parturition normally occurs) of gestation to determine the profiles of immunoreactive relaxin and its effects on progesterone, estrone (E1), and 17 beta-estradiol (17 beta-E2) secretion in peripheral blood plasma of beef heifers. Controls received either 0.01 M PBS (1 ml, im; n = 2) or 0.01 M gel-PBS (gel; 1 ml, os; n = 2) in cervical os. One relaxin-treated (im) heifer calved at 4 h and 36 min after treatment; thus, data from this heifer were not included in subsequent analysis. Relaxin-treated heifers showed an acute elevation in relaxin, a precipitous decrease in progesterone, and a significant (P less than 0.05) elevation of E1 and 17 beta-E2. Plasma relaxin levels were 4.95, 1.5, and 0.24 ng/ml at 0.5 h in RLX-IM, RLX-OS, and control animals, respectively. Peripheral plasma relaxin peaked between 23-31 ng/ml 1-2.5 h before returning to less than 0.5 ng/ml 5-12 h after treatment. Relaxin administration accounted for 70%, 73%, and 58% of the progesterone, E1, and 17 beta-E2 variability between treatments, respectively. An abrupt decrease (P less than 0.01) in progesterone preceded the rises (P less than 0.05) in E1 and 17 beta-E2 at 1.5, 2-2.5, and 2-3.5 h, respectively. Maximum progesterone deviations from the pretreatment mean concentration were -5.43, -3.05, and -0.92 ng/ml for RLX-IM, RLX-OS, and controls. Progesterone rebounded from 36% to 61% and 62% to 79% of respective pretreatment means for RLX-IM and RLX-OS. Peak elevation of E1 was 407.3, 306.5, and 71.5 pg/ml and that of 17 beta-E2 was 82.2, 35.8, and 7.8 ng/ml for RLX-IM, RLX-OS, and controls, respectively. These results provide strong evidence that a pharmacological dosage of relaxin induces an acute depression of progesterone secretion beginning within 90 min in beef heifers during late pregnancy. We suggest that these early and marked luteolytic effects of relaxin on progesterone secretion in cattle could be by direct or indirect actions via mechanisms that are yet unknown.

Animals

Pelvic development as affected by relaxin in three genetically selected frame sizes of beef heifers.

Purified porcine relaxin was administered into the cervical os on Day 278 of gestation to determine its effects on pelvic development in three genetically selected frame sizes of primiparous beef heifers. Heifers were categorized as small, medium and large frame based upon their genetic composition. Pelvic height, pelvic width and cervical dilatation were determined from Day 270 to 2 days postpartum. On Day 270, heifers were assigned at random to one of three treatments: vehicle control, n = 16; relaxin once (3,000 U), n = 14; and relaxin twice (2 times 3,000 U 12 h apart), n = 17. Each heifer-frame size was represented in each treatment. Relaxin caused marked increases in pelvic height and width, as well as in the rate of linear increase (cm/day) of these parameters (p less than 0.05). These linear increases in pelvic height were 510, 264 and 204%, and pelvic width, were 280, 213 and 204% of the respective pretreatment rates for small, medium and large heifers. The rate of linear increase in pelvic width was greater than pelvic height in all heifers, but maximal in small-frame heifers; relaxin attenuated these intrinsic differences. For small heifers, the rate of linear increase in pelvic width was 121 and 145% of increases for medium and large heifers, respectively, before treatment, and 160 and 200% after treatment. The rate of postpartum involution of pelvic width was -0.03, -0.36 and -0.50 cm/day and, for pelvic height, -0.02, -0.27 and -0.29 cm/day in small, medium and large heifers, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Relaxin on induction of parturition in beef heifers.

Purified porcine relaxin (3000 U/mg) was administered into the cervical os of primiparous beef heifers on day 278 of gestation (approximately 5 days before parturition normally occurs) to determine its effects on the induction of parturition, changes in progesterone, estrone (E1), 17 beta-estradiol (17 beta-E2), cervical dilation, and pelvic relaxation. Heifers were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments: relaxin-double (two infusions of 3000 U, 12 h apart; n = 17), relaxin-single (3000 U; n = 14), and PBS-gel vehicle (n = 16). Relaxin induced marked earlier calving (P less than 0.002) than PBS-gel vehicle. The intervals between the administration of relaxin or the PBS-gel vehicle and calving were 2.0, 2.5, and 5.3 days for heifers given relaxin-double, relaxin-single, and PBS-gel vehicle, respectively. The duration of gestation was significantly reduced (P less than 0.002) in relaxin-treated heifers compared with that in control heifers. A precipitous decrease in progesterone (7.1 ng/ml) occurred in peripheral blood plasma within 24 h after relaxin treatment. Coincident with a decline in levels of progesterone, E1 and 17 beta-E2 increased by 1700 and 400 pg/ml, respectively, an increase of 35% compared with the 12% increase in these steroids in control heifers. Mean deviations of cervical dilation increased 643%, 526%, and 11% in heifers given relaxin-double, relaxin-single, and PBS-gel vehicle, respectively. Relaxin induced maximum pelvic opening between 12-36 h after treatment. Although relaxin induced significantly earlier calving, there was no incidence (0 of 31 heifers) of retained placenta. We conclude from this study that purified relaxin administered intracervically to primiparous beef heifers during late pregnancy induced premature parturition. Marked shifts of progesterone, E1, 17 beta-E2, pelvic canal expansion, and cervical relaxation reflect the premature parturition induced by relaxin.

Animals

Conceptus development after vascular occlusion of the middle uterine artery in the pig.

The middle uterine artery of gilts was occluded unilaterally or bilaterally from Days 25 to 70 after mating. The results showed that vascular occlusion of one (N = 7) or both (N = 6) middle uterine arteries during mid-pregnancy markedly reduced, compared with sham-operated controls (N = 7), development of the conceptuses and decreased peripheral oestrogen (oestrone + oestradiol-17 beta) concentrations in maternal blood.

Animals