Quercetin interferes with the fluid volume and receptivity development of the uterus in rats during the peri-implantation period

Shahzad H; Giribabu N; Karim K; Kassim N; Muniandy S; Kumar KE; Salleh N

doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.04.004

Quercetin interferes with the fluid volume and receptivity development of the uterus in rats during the peri-implantation period

Shahzad H ¹ , Giribabu N ¹ , Karim K ¹ , Kassim N ² , Muniandy S ³ , Kumar KE ⁴ Show all authors , Salleh N ⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
² Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
³ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, MAHSA University, Jalan Elmu, Off Jalan University, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
⁴ Pharmacology Division, A.U. College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, 530 003, Andhra Pradesh, India
⁵ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: naguib.salleh@gmail.com

Reprod Toxicol, 2017 08;71:42-54.

PMID: 28431985 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.04.004

Abstract

HYPOTHESIS: Quercetin could induce changes to the fluid volume and receptivity development of the uterus during peri-implantation period.

METHODS: Female rats were treated with quercetin (10, 25 and 50mg/kg/day) subcutaneously beginning from day-1 pregnancy. Uterus was harvested at day-4 (following three days quercetin treatment) for morphological, ultra-structural, protein and mRNA expressional changes and plasma sex-steroid levels analyses. In another cohort of rats, implantation rate was determined at day-6 (following five days quercetin treatment).

RESULTS: Administration of 50mg/kg/day quercetin causes increased in uterine fluid volume and CFTR expression but decreased in γ-ENaC, AQP-5, AQP-9 claudin-4, occludin, E-cadherin, integrin αnβЗ, FGF, Ihh and Msx-1expression in the uterus. Pinopodes were poorly develop, tight junctions appear less complex and implantation rate decreased. Serum estradiol levels increased but serum progesterone levels decreased.

CONCLUSIONS: Interference in the fluid volume and receptivity development of the uterus during peri-implantation period by quercetin could adversely affect embryo implantation.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.