Involvement of Oxytocin and Progesterone Receptor Expression in the Etiology of Canine Uterine Inertia

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  • Carolin Jungmann
  • Caroline Gauguin Houghton
  • Frederik Goth Nielsen
  • Eva Maria Packeiser
  • Hanna Körber
  • Iris M. Reichler
  • Orsolya Balogh
  • Sandra Goericke-Pesch

An altered oxytocin and progesterone receptor (OXTR and PGR, respectively) expression was postulated in canine uterine inertia (UI), which is the lack of functional myometrial contractions. OXTR and PGR expressions were compared in uterine tissue obtained during C-section due to primary UI (PUI; n = 12) and obstructive dystocia (OD, n = 8). In PUI, the influence of litter size was studied (small/normal/large litter: PUI-S/N/L: n = 5/4/3). Staining intensity in immunohistochemistry was scored for the longitudinal and circular myometrial layer and summarized per dog (IP-Myoscore). Mean P4 did not differ significantly between PUI (n = 9) and OD (n = 7). OXTR and PGR expressions (ratios) were significantly higher in PUI (OXTR: p = 0.0019; PGR: p = 0.0339), also for OXTR in PUI-N versus OD (p = 0.0034). A trend for a higher PGR IP-Myoscore was identified (PUI-N vs. OD, p = 0.0626) as well as an influence of litter size (lowest PGR-Myoscore in PUI-L, p = 0.0391). In conclusion, PUI was not related to higher P4, but potentially increased PGR availability compared to OD. It remains to be clarified whether OXTR is upregulated in PUI due to a counterregulatory mechanism to overcome myometrial quiescence or downregulated in OD due to physiological slow OXTR desensitization associated with an advanced duration of labor. Identified OXTR differences between myometrial layers indicate the need for further research.

Original languageEnglish
Article number13601
JournalInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume23
Issue number21
ISSN1661-6596
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

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© 2022 by the authors.

    Research areas

  • dog, dystocia, oxytocin receptor, progesterone receptor, uterine inertia

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