Horm Metab Res 2004; 36(3): 136-141
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-814336
Original Basic
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Ciliary Motility in Bovine Oviducts for Sensing Rapid Non-genomic Reactions upon Exposure to Progesterone

Th.  Wessel1 , U.  Schuchter1 , H.  Walt1
  • 1Research Division of Gynecology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstraße, Zurich, Switzerland
Further Information

Publication History

Received 28 July 2003

Accepted after revision 4 November 2003

Publication Date:
01 April 2004 (online)

Abstract

Based on the expression of hormone receptors, oviductal cells receive a series of signals to control the conduit and transport of gametes. Most cells in the inner oviductal mucosa have motile cilia, and the mucociliary system of oviducts represents a prominent object of study for rapid feedback after application of steroid hormones. Using a high-speed reflectometry method, we investigated effects on the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of bovine oviductal explants after progesterone treatment. To classify changes of CBF as either classic or non-classic reactions, we pretreated primary tissue cultures with mifepristone, an antagonist to the classic progesterone receptor in a second experimental series. In contrast to classical genomic reactions, non-classic or non-genomic reactions are characterized by fast effects, insensitive to the classic receptor antagonist. We observed inhibitory effects on the ciliary beat frequency as soon as 15 minutes after application of progesterone (20 µM), reaching a plateau of about 11 % after 90 minutes. Pretreatment with mifepristone (20 µM) for two hours did not induce significant differences in short-term reactions. However, the inhibitory influence of progesterone after 24 hours could be effectively prevented. Our data confirmed the short-term reaction of CBF as non-genomic or non-classic.

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H. Walt

Research Division of Gynecology · Zurich University Hospital

Frauenklinikstraße 10 · 8091 Zurich · Switzerland

Phone: +41(1)2555372

Fax: +41(1)2554553

Email: heinrich.walt@usz.ch

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