The Male Fetal Biomarker INSL3 Reveals Substantial Hormone Exchange between Fetuses in Early Pig Gestation

The peptide hormone INSL3 is uniquely produced by the fetal testis to promote the transabdominal phase of testicular descent. Because it is fetal sex specific, and is present in only very low amounts in the maternal circulation, INSL3 acts as an ideal biomarker with which to monitor the movement of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2016-03, Vol.11 (3), p.e0152689-e0152689
Main Authors: Vernunft, Andreas, Ivell, Richard, Heng, Kee, Anand-Ivell, Ravinder
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allantois - metabolism
Animal experimentation
Animals
Bioindicators
Biological Transport
Biology
Biology and Life Sciences
Biomarkers
Care and treatment
Chorionic gonadotropins
Diabetes
Female
Fetus - embryology
Fetus - metabolism
Fetuses
Fluids
Gestation
Health aspects
Hogs
Hormones
Insulin - blood
Insulin - metabolism
Intensive farming
Male
Medicine and Health Sciences
Peptide hormones
Peptides
Placenta
Pregnancy
Proteins - metabolism
Sexual Development
Studies
Swine - blood
Swine - embryology
Swine - metabolism
Testes
Testis - embryology
Testis - metabolism
Uterus
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The peptide hormone INSL3 is uniquely produced by the fetal testis to promote the transabdominal phase of testicular descent. Because it is fetal sex specific, and is present in only very low amounts in the maternal circulation, INSL3 acts as an ideal biomarker with which to monitor the movement of fetal hormones within the pregnant uterus of a polytocous species, the pig. INSL3 production by the fetal testis begins at around GD30. At GD45 of the ca. 114 day gestation, a time at which testicular descent is promoted, INSL3 evidently moves from male to female allantoic compartments, presumably impacting also on the female fetal circulation. At later time-points (GD63, GD92) there is less inter-fetal transfer, although there still appears to be significant INSL3, presumably of male origin, in the plasma of female fetuses. This study thus provides evidence for substantial transfer of a peptide hormone between fetuses, and probably also across the placenta, emphasizing the vulnerability of the fetus to extrinsic hormonal influences within the uterus.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0152689