Biology of Reproduction, Vol 30, 311-322, Copyright © 1984 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

ARTICLES

Presence of an inhibitor of plasminogen activator in uterine fluid of the western spotted skunk during delayed implantation

AT Fazleabas, RA Mead, AW Rourke and RM Roberts

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that protease inhibitors would be present in uterine fluids of the western spotted skunk during the period of delayed implantation but would decline or disappear during implantation. Blood plasma, uterine flushings and medium from endometrial cultures were collected 40-70 days preimplantation (Stage 1), 20-25 days preimplantation (Stage 2), 1-3 days preimplantation (Stage 3) and 1-5 days postimplantation (Stage 4). Protein content of the flushings was low in Stage 1 (12.9 +/- 3.0 micrograms), increased slightly (21.8 +/- 6.4 micrograms) during Stage 2 and increased markedly in Stages 3 (99 +/- 44.8 micrograms) and 4 (256 +/- 150 micrograms). No protease activity was detected in any fluid at any stage. Uterine flushings, however, contained an inhibitor of plasminogen activator (PA) of apparent molecular weight approximately 70,000. The total amount of inhibitor increased as pregnancy progressed, but specific inhibitory activity was highest during Stages 1 and 2 (1.7 and 3.2 units/micrograms protein, respectively) and declined in Stages 3 and 4 (1.2 and 0.6 units/micrograms protein, respectively). The inhibitor was present in medium from uterine cultures but was low in plasma. All of the fluids could inhibit trypsin, but not plasmin. The antitrypsin activity in uterine fluids is attributed to plasma transudate. The results demonstrate an inhibitor of PA in skunk uterine fluids but show no temporal relationship between its presence and the period of obligate delay of implantation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Passavant, X. Zhao, S.K. Das, S.K. Dey, and R.A. Mead Changes in Uterine Expression of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor Gene During Pregnancy and Its Up-Regulation by Prolactin in the Western Spotted Skunk Biol Reprod, July 1, 2000; 63(1): 301 - 307. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S.K. Das, J. Wang, S.K. Dey, and R.A. Mead Spatiotemporal Expression of Cyclooxygenase 1 and Cyclooxygenase 2 during Delayed Implantation and the Periimplantation Period in the Western Spotted Skunk Biol Reprod, April 1, 1999; 60(4): 893 - 899. [Abstract] [Full Text]