Pyometra alters uterine aquaporins related with lipopolysaccharide concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activities in bitches

• Published in: Animal reproduction science 2024-12, Vol.271, p.107621, Article 107621
• Main Authors: Yazlık, Murat Onur, Özkan, Hüseyin, Vural, Sevil Atalay, Kaya, Ufuk, Müştak, İnci Başak, Mutluer Altınbaş, İpek, Tunç, Arda Selin, Özöner, Özgür, Altınbaş, Yunus Furkan, Alpler, Kamil, Vural, Mehmet Rıfat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; anticoagulants; antioxidant activity; antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants - metabolism; Aquaporin; aquaporins; Aquaporins - genetics; Aquaporins - metabolism; blood serum; Canine; diestrus; Dog Diseases - metabolism; Dogs; elderly; enzyme activity; Escherichia coli; Female; Gene Expression Regulation - physiology; glutathione peroxidase; immunohistochemistry; lipopolysaccharides; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; nitric oxide; Oxidative stress; pathogenesis; progesterone; Pyometra; Pyometra - metabolism; Pyometra - veterinary; spaying; superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; toxins; uterine tissue; Uterus - metabolism
• ISSN: 0378-4320; 1873-2232; 1873-2232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107621

Pyometra is a common life-threatening inflammatory disease with a complex etiopathogenesis that develops during the diestrus stage and can be observed in elderly intact bitches. The present study evaluated five aquaporin (AQP1, AQP2, AQP3, AQP5, and AQP9) transcript abundances and immunolocalization in the uterine tissue, and investigated their relationship with uterine tissue and blood lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production in dogs suffering from pyometra. The study sampled 36 client-owned intact bitches from different breeds, of which 24 cases were diagnosed with pyometra. Twelve of these bitches in the diestrus stage that presented for elective ovariohysterectomy were used as the control group. Blood samples were collected into tubes without anticoagulant for serum progesterone, LPS concentration, and antioxidant activities at the time of diagnosis. Bacteriological and tissue samples from the uteri were collected after the ovariohysterectomy. The tissue samples were used to determine antioxidant activity, and hormone and toxin concentrations. Transcript abundance of uterine AQPs were determined by qPCR, and their presence and localization were determined by by immunohistochemistry. For all pyometra samples, the bacteria isolated from the uterine swabs were Escherichia coli. Compared to the control group, AQP1, AQP2, and AQP5 were downregulated more than 2-fold, whereas AQP9 was upregulated nearly 3-fold and AQP3 was upregulated more than 4-fold in the pyometra affected uteri (P