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The effects of luteotrophic and luteolytic factors on feline luteal cells (functional characterization)

Subject Area Veterinary Medical Science
Term from 2017 to 2024
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 329674804
 
Final Report Year 2025

Final Report Abstract

The project represents contributions to the elucidation of the regulation and functionality of yellow bodies (corpora lutea, CLs) in felids using cell culture models. CLs are endocrine glands that are usually only transiently present on ovaries and support pregnancies through their progesterone production. In contrast to most other species, lynxes have persistent CLs. A large part of the project comprised the development of suitable in vitro cell culture models for functional investigations. In the first phase of the project, steroidogenic luteal cells of the domestic cat and other felids were successfully isolated, cultured for several days and the functionality of these cells in response to luteotropic and luteolytic factors was investigated. It turned out that not only the partly seasonal accessibility to corpora lutea of felids, their often small size and the sensitivity of the large luteal cells to isolation in particular represented a limitation for the planned experiments, but also the unexpectedly high heterogeneity of the starting material. The investigations of CLs of domestic cats and lynxes suggested a specific role of antioxidative enzymes for the persistence of CLs of lynxes. In the second project phase, the material limitations of the first project phase should be solved by cultivating and luteinising primarily precursor cells of steroidogenic luteal cells, i.e. granulosa cells and theca cells, derived from antral follicles. Antral follicle cell mixtures were also used as a source. Luteinisation was carried out in culture plates, which supported the formation of 3D structures (spheroids). Spheroids generated from luteinised antral follicle cell mixtures, which proved to be the spheroid type with the highest progesterone production, were subsequently used to study the effect of hydrogen peroxide and menadione. The oxidative stress caused by these substances led to a reduction in progesterone production, but it also had a different effect on the gene expression of some factors. The 3D culture model with the use of progenitor cells/antral follicle cell mixture has the advantage that the stages of different approaches are well synchronised during culture, in contrast to cells isolated from undefinable CL-substages. In the first few days, it corresponds to the formation stage of CLs, and later to the development/maintenance stage. It therefore provides a good basis for further investigations, both in functional terms and for analysing the life cycle of the corpus luteum. The transcriptome analysis of different stages of CLs in the domestic cat provided indications of previously unknown functional and regulatory factors that should be investigated in more detail in the future.

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