Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition
The importance of trophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the perinatal period, is now emerging. Through their functional activities of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, they play a key role in th...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/451 |
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| author | Nicola Ellero Aliai Lanci Vito Antonio Baldassarro Giuseppe Alastra Jole Mariella Maura Cescatti Luciana Giardino Carolina Castagnetti |
| author_facet | Nicola Ellero Aliai Lanci Vito Antonio Baldassarro Giuseppe Alastra Jole Mariella Maura Cescatti Luciana Giardino Carolina Castagnetti |
| author_sort | Nicola Ellero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The importance of trophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the perinatal period, is now emerging. Through their functional activities of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, they play a key role in the final maturation of the nervous and vascular systems. The present study aims to: (i) evaluate the NGF and VEGF levels obtained at parturition from the mare, foal and umbilical cord vein plasma, as well as in amniotic fluid; (ii) evaluate NGF and VEGF content in the plasma of healthy foals during the first 72 h of life (T0, T24 and T72); (iii) evaluate NGF and VEGF levels at parturition in relation to the selected mares’ and foals’ clinical parameters; (iv) evaluate the relationship between the two trophic factors and the thyroid hormone levels (TT3 and TT4) in the first 72 h of life; (v) assess mRNA expression of NGF, VEGF and BDNF and their cell surface receptors in the placenta. Fourteen Standardbred healthy foals born from mares with normal pregnancies and parturitions were included in the study. The dosage of NGF and VEGF levels was performed using commercial ELISA kits, whereas NGF, VEGF and BDNF placental gene expression was performed using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. In foal plasma, both NGF and VEGF levels decreased significantly over time, from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0066 for NGF; <i>p</i> < 0.0001 for VEGF) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> = 0.0179 for NGF; <i>p</i> = 0.0016 for VEGF). In foal serum, TT3 levels increased significantly over time from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0058) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> = 0.0013), whereas TT4 levels decreased significantly over time from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0201) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). A positive correlation was found in the levels of NGF and VEGF in foal plasma at each time point (<i>p</i> = 0.0115; r = 0.2862). A positive correlation was found between NGF levels in the foal plasma at T0 and lactate (<i>p</i> = 0.0359; r = 0.5634) as well as between VEGF levels in the foal plasma at T0 and creatine kinase (<i>p</i> = 0.0459; r = 0.5407). VEGF was expressed in all fetal membranes, whereas NGF and its receptors were not expressed in the amnion. The close relationship between the two trophic factors in foal plasma over time and their fine expression in placental tissues appear to be key regulators of fetal development and adaptation to extra-uterine life. |
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| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:15:37Z |
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| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-b933bfe89e8d4e4da145c867902502e92023-11-23T19:23:37ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812022-08-019945110.3390/vetsci9090451Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and ParturitionNicola Ellero0Aliai Lanci1Vito Antonio Baldassarro2Giuseppe Alastra3Jole Mariella4Maura Cescatti5Luciana Giardino6Carolina Castagnetti7Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyHealth Science and Technologies Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (HST-ICIR), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyIRET Foundation, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), University of Bologna, 40064 Bologna, ItalyThe importance of trophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) during the perinatal period, is now emerging. Through their functional activities of neurogenesis and angiogenesis, they play a key role in the final maturation of the nervous and vascular systems. The present study aims to: (i) evaluate the NGF and VEGF levels obtained at parturition from the mare, foal and umbilical cord vein plasma, as well as in amniotic fluid; (ii) evaluate NGF and VEGF content in the plasma of healthy foals during the first 72 h of life (T0, T24 and T72); (iii) evaluate NGF and VEGF levels at parturition in relation to the selected mares’ and foals’ clinical parameters; (iv) evaluate the relationship between the two trophic factors and the thyroid hormone levels (TT3 and TT4) in the first 72 h of life; (v) assess mRNA expression of NGF, VEGF and BDNF and their cell surface receptors in the placenta. Fourteen Standardbred healthy foals born from mares with normal pregnancies and parturitions were included in the study. The dosage of NGF and VEGF levels was performed using commercial ELISA kits, whereas NGF, VEGF and BDNF placental gene expression was performed using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. In foal plasma, both NGF and VEGF levels decreased significantly over time, from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0066 for NGF; <i>p</i> < 0.0001 for VEGF) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> = 0.0179 for NGF; <i>p</i> = 0.0016 for VEGF). In foal serum, TT3 levels increased significantly over time from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0058) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> = 0.0013), whereas TT4 levels decreased significantly over time from T0 to T24 (<i>p</i> = 0.0201) and from T0 to T72 (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). A positive correlation was found in the levels of NGF and VEGF in foal plasma at each time point (<i>p</i> = 0.0115; r = 0.2862). A positive correlation was found between NGF levels in the foal plasma at T0 and lactate (<i>p</i> = 0.0359; r = 0.5634) as well as between VEGF levels in the foal plasma at T0 and creatine kinase (<i>p</i> = 0.0459; r = 0.5407). VEGF was expressed in all fetal membranes, whereas NGF and its receptors were not expressed in the amnion. The close relationship between the two trophic factors in foal plasma over time and their fine expression in placental tissues appear to be key regulators of fetal development and adaptation to extra-uterine life.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/451neonatal foalpregnancyparturitionequine perinatal periodamniotic fluidumbilical cord vein |
| spellingShingle | Nicola Ellero Aliai Lanci Vito Antonio Baldassarro Giuseppe Alastra Jole Mariella Maura Cescatti Luciana Giardino Carolina Castagnetti Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition Veterinary Sciences neonatal foal pregnancy parturition equine perinatal period amniotic fluid umbilical cord vein |
| title | Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition |
| title_full | Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition |
| title_fullStr | Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition |
| title_short | Study on NGF and VEGF during the Equine Perinatal Period—Part 1: Healthy Foals Born from Normal Pregnancy and Parturition |
| title_sort | study on ngf and vegf during the equine perinatal period part 1 healthy foals born from normal pregnancy and parturition |
| topic | neonatal foal pregnancy parturition equine perinatal period amniotic fluid umbilical cord vein |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/9/451 |
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