Expression and regulation of scavenger receptor class B type 1 in the rat ovary and uterus during the estrous cycle

Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1) preferentially mediates the selective uptake of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ester and the delivery of cholesterol for steroidogenesis. Although multiple analyses have investigated the function of SR-B1 in the liver, adrenal and ovary, its expression in rat ovary and uterus during the estrous cycle is lacking. In the present study, real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate SR-B1 expression in the rat ovary and uterus during the estrous cycle. The results demonstrated that ovarian SR-B1 expression was in a stage-dependent manner, continuously increased from proestrus and kept elevated during metoestrus, while uterine SR-B1 expression decreased from proestrus to diestrus. To determine whether ovarian and uterine SR-B1 expression were affected by sex steroid hormones, immature rats were treated with 17 β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), or their antagonists from postnatal days 24-26. Results showed that the levels of SR-B1 mRNA and protein were significantly up-regulated by E2 in both the ovary and uterus. IHC results showed that SR-B1 was primarily localized in the oocytes, theca internal cells (T-I) of follicles, interstitial cells (IC) as well as corpus luteum (CL), but not granulosa cells (GC) in the ovary during the estrous cycle. Uterine SR-B1 was highly expressed in the endometrial luminal epithelial cells (LEC) and glandular epithelial cells (GEC) as well as in the circular muscle (CM) cells, and weak staining in stromal cells (SC) through estrous cycle. Taken together, SR-B1 expression in the ovary and uterus across the estrous cycle demonstrate that SR-B1 may be involved in uterine function, follicular development as well as luteal function.