Expression of type I GNRH receptor and in vivo and in vitro GNRH-I effects in corpora lutea of pseudopregnant rabbits.

The expression of type I GNRH receptor (GNRHR-I) and the direct role of GNRH-I on corpora lutea (CL) function were studied in the pseudopregnant rabbit model. Immunohistochemistry evidenced GNRHR-I and GNRH-I in luteal cells at early (day 4 pseudopregnancy)-, mid (day 9)-, and late (day 13)-luteal stages. Real-time RT-PCR and western blotting revealed GNRHR-I mRNA and protein at the three luteal stages. Buserelin in vivo treatment at days 9 and 13 decreased plasma progesterone levels for 48 and 24  h respectively. In in vitro cultured CL, buserelin reduced progesterone secretion, increased prostaglandin F(2α) (PGF(2α)) secretion and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities at days 9 and 13, and decreased PGE₂ at day 13. Co-incubation with antagonists for GNRH-I (antide), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃, 2-amino-ethoxydiphenylborate), and diacylglycerol (DAG, 1-hexadecyl-2-acetyl glycerol) or inhibitors for phospholipase C (PLC, compound 48/80), and protein kinase C (PKC, staurosporine) counteracted the buserelin effects. Buserelin co-incubated with COX inhibitor (acetylsalicylic acid) increased progesterone and decreased PGF(2α) and NOS activity at days 9 and 13, whereas co-incubation with NOS inhibitor (N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester) increased progesterone at the same luteal stages. These results suggest that GNRHR-I is constitutively expressed in rabbit CL independently of luteal stage, whereas GNRH-I down-regulates directly CL progesterone production via PGF(2α) at mid- and late-luteal stages of pseudopregnancy, utilizing its cognate type I receptor with a post-receptorial mechanism that involves PLC, IP₃, DAG, PKC, COX-2, and NOS.