Effects of asprosin on estradiol and progesterone secretion and proliferation of bovine granulosa cells

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology 2023-04, Vol.565, p.111890-111890, Article 111890
• Main Authors: Batalha, Isadora Maria, Maylem, Excel Rio S., Spicer, Leon J., Pena Bello, Camilo Andres, Archilia, Evandro Carlos, Schütz, Luis Fernando
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipokine; Animals; Cattle; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Estradiol; Estradiol - pharmacology; Female; Fertility; Fibrillin-1; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - pharmacology; Granulosa Cells - metabolism; Ovary; Progesterone - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111890

Asprosin is an adipokine synthesized by the white adipose tissue that regulates glucose homeostasis and that has been reported to affect bovine theca cell function and follicular growth, but its role on granulosa cell functions remains to be unveiled. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate asprosin impacts on granulosa cell steroidogenesis. Bovine granulosa cells from small ovarian follicles were cultured in vitro to investigate the effects of asprosin on cell proliferation, production of steroids, mRNA abundance of genes that encode steroidogenic enzymes and cell cycle regulators, and protein relative abundance of steroidogenic signaling pathways. Asprosin was shown to affect granulosa cell functions in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of FSH, asprosin enhanced estradiol production and stimulated an increase in mRNA expression of FSHR and CYP19A1 in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of IGF1, asprosin decreased estradiol production, increased progesterone production, altered PKA relative protein expression, and tended to alter the ratio of p-ERK1/2/total ERK1/2 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, asprosin increased p-53 gene expression in basal culture conditions and with or without FSH and IGF1. Taken together, findings of this study show that asprosin is a regulator of granulosa cell functions and the effects of asprosin depend on dose and cell culture conditions. •Asprosin affects estradiol and progesterone production of bovine granulosa cells in vitro.•Asprosin alters steroidogenic enzymes mRNA abundance in bovine granulosa cells in vitro.•Asprosin alters mRNA abundance of genes that encode regulators of cell cycle and apoptosis in bovine granulosa cells in vitro.•Asprosin influences protein expression of molecules that regulate steroids synthesis.