Effect of tumor necrosis factor-α on in vitro prostaglandin production in buffalo corpus luteum

Corpus luteum plays key role in embryonic survival. Prostaglandins are the important regulator controlling the life span of corpus luteum. The present study investigated the effect of various doses of TNF_α on in vitro PGF_2α and PGE₂ production and expression profiling of PGFS and PGES mRNA in buffalo Corpus Luteum (CL).

Buffalo ovaries with mid-luteal phase CL were collected from the abattoir and CL were enucleated from surrounding tissues. Corpus luteum were finely chopped, rinsed with HBSS (Hanks Balanced Salt Solution) medium; supplemented with gentamycin and 0.1% BSA and incubated at 37°C for 1 hr in HBSS containing 0.1% collagenase. The cell suspension following filtration was washed by HBBS supplemented with gentamycin and 0.1% BSA (bovine serum albumin) and was treated with increasing doses of TNF_α (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 nM) and cultured at 38.5°C, 5% CO₂ level for 24 hr.

There was dose dependent increase in concentrations of PGF_2α and PGE₂ with increasing doses of TNF_α. The PGFS (prostaglandin F synthase) mRNA expression increased with increasing doses of TNF_α. However, there was decrease in PGES (prostaglandin E synthase) mRNA expression at 0.1 nM and 0.5 nM TNF_α but PGES mRNA expression increased at 1.0 nM TNF_α as compared to control. It can be concluded that TNF_α may alter PGES and PGFS mRNA expression and prostaglandin secretion in buffalo CL.