Transcriptional response of endometrium and the bovine preimplantative embryo to subclinical inflamation of the uterine environment. Bos taurus

Combining the cytological as well as gene expression changes in the endometrium is required to understand the effects of subclinical endometritis on endometrium as well as embryo. Hence, the present study was aimed to investigate the gene expression profiles of subclinical endometrium as well the effect of the inflamed environment on the gene expression profile of the developing preimplantative embryo. Overall design: Endometrial samples were collected from each 49 cow using the cytobrush technique, 2 h before insemination (Day 0 of the estrous cycle after superovulation) and immediately before flushing (Day 7 of the estrous cycle after superovulation). The endometrial samples were categorized based on the PMN value as healthy endometrium (HE, PMN = 0) and subclinical endometritis (SE, endometrial PMN > 0). Flushed embryos were snap frozen for later molecular genetic analysis. Finally, endometrial samples were pooled according to the endometrial health status of the donor cows (HE vs. SE) at the time of insemination and at the time of flushing. The corresponding samples were subjected global gene expression profile. Moreover embryos flushed from HE and SE cows were pooled together according to the health status of their donors at time of flushing. Those embryos were also used for global embryonic gene expression analysis in relation to the health status of the donor cows.