The interactions between nerve growth factor and gonadotrophins in bovine oviduct

Nerve growth factor promotes the survival and differentiation of nervous cells and is thought to play an important role in the development of reproductive tissues. The aims of this work were to detect the presence of NGF and its receptor NTRK1 in bovine oviduct samples, and to investigate the regulatory interactions between NGF/NTRK1 and gonadotrophins in bovine oviduct epithelial cells. Both transcripts and proteins of NGF and NTRK1 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, and the corresponding proteins were specifically immunolocalized in oviduct epithelial cells. In addition, real-time PCR experiments revealed that the levels of NGF and NTRK1 mRNA in oviduct epithelial cells treated with exogenous FSH or LH were greater than those in negative control cells (P < 0.05). Similarly, treatment with NGF significantly increased the expression of FSHR and LHR in oviduct epithelial cells via its effects on NTRK1 (P < 0.05). This process was suppressed by treatment with the NTRK1 inhibitor K252α. We conclude that NGF/NTRK1 may have a role in regulating the function of bovine oviducts via its interactions with gonadotrophins.