Expression of IkappaB Family in the Ovine Liver during Early Pregnancy

Simple Summary An inhibitor of the NF-kappa B (I kappa B) family is involved in regulating innate immune responses. In this study, early pregnancy induces upregulation of I kappa B alpha, but changes and downregulates the expression of BCL-3, I kappa B epsilon, IKK gamma and I kappa BNS, and changes expression of I kappa B beta and I kappa B zeta in the maternal liver, which are related to maternal peripheral tolerance and pregnancy establishment. During normal pregnancy, there is a dynamic regulation of the maternal immune system, including the liver, to accommodate the presence of the allogeneic foetus in the uterus. However, it was unclear that the expression of the IkappaB (I kappa B) family was regulated in the ovine maternal liver during early pregnancy. In this study, sheep livers were collected at day 16 of the oestrous cycle (NP16), and days 13, 16 and 25 of gestation (DP13, DP16 and DP25), and RT-qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to analyse the expression of the I kappa B family, including B cell leukemia-3 (BCL-3), I kappa B alpha, I kappa B beta, I kappa B epsilon, IKK gamma, I kappa BNS and I kappa B zeta. The results revealed that expression of BCL-3, I kappa B beta, I kappa B epsilon and IKK gamma peaked at DP16, and the expression of I kappa B alpha was increased during early pregnancy. In addition, the expression of I kappa B zeta peaked at DP13 and DP16, and I kappa BNS peaked at DP13. I kappa B beta and IKK gamma proteins were located in the endothelial cells of the proper hepatic arteries and portal veins, and hepatocytes. In conclusion, early pregnancy changed the expression of the I kappa B family, suggesting that the modulation of the I kappa B family may be related to the regulation of maternal hepatic functions, which may be favourable for pregnancy establishment in sheep.

Automated summary

This study found that early pregnancy induces changes in the I kappa B family, which are closely related to maternal peripheral tolerance and pregnancy establishment in sheep. This suggests that the regulation of the I kappa B family may be favorable for maternal hepatic functions during pregnancy.