Does Maternal Stress Affect the Early Embryonic Microenvironment? Impact of Long-Term Cortisol Stimulation on the Oviduct Epithelium.

ABSTRACT: Maternal stress before or during the sensitive preimplantation phase is associated with reproduction failure. Upon real or perceived threat, glucocorticoids (classic stress hormones) as cortisol are synthesized. The earliest "microenvironment" of the embryo consists of the oviduct epithelium and the oviductal fluid generated via the epithelial barrier. However, to date, the direct effects of cortisol on the oviduct are largely unknown. In the present study, we used a compartmentalized in vitro system to test the hypothesis that a prolonged stimulation with cortisol modifies the physiology of the oviduct epithelium. Porcine oviduct epithelial cells were differentiated at the air-liquid interface and basolaterally stimulated with physiological levels of cortisol representing moderate and sev

SUBMITTER: Du S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7014231 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature