Effect of neonatal exposure to endocrine active compounds on the ovarian function of adult pig - molecular and epigenetic aspects

The aim of this projest is to provide new information of androgen or estrogen excess or deficiency during neonatal period induced experimentally by exposure to chosen endocrine-active compounds (EACs) on factors involved in ovarian function. The specific objective of this project is to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanism mediating long-term effects of androgen excess or deficiency on corpus luteum function in pigs. Our research hypothesis is that the balance between androgens and estrogens during neonatal period is indispensable for corpus luteum function during adulthood.Design: Neonatal pigs have been allotted into five groups (n = 3, each group) and injected (subcutaneous injection) with: testosterone propionate (TP), lutamide (FLU), 4-tert-ocyylphenol (OP), ICI182,780 (ICI), methoxychlor (MXC) and vehicle (corn oil; control group) by 10 days. Sexually mature gilts after at least two estrus cycle have been slaughter at a abattoir between days 8 and 11 of estrous, the ovaries have been collected and analysis of transcriptome of corpora lutea following TP, FLU, OP, ICI and MXC administration during the neonatal period was performed using total RNAseq and small-RNAseq.