Effect of oleic acid supplementation on prostaglandin production in maternal endometrial and fetal allantochorion cells isolated from late gestation ewes

Elevated circulating non-esterified fatty acids including oleic acid (OA) are associated with many pregnancy related complications. Prostaglandins (PGs) play crucial roles during parturition. We investigated the effect of OA supplementation on PG production using an in vitro model of ovine placenta

A PPAR-independent pathway to PUFA-induced COX-2 expression

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) induce COX-2 in bovine endometrial stromal cells through activation of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). We have investigated alternative (PPAR-independent) pathways to COX-2 induction using a reporter construct driven by a COX-2 gene promoter sequence lacking a PPAR response element. This construct was induced by PUFAs, but not by PPAR agonists. PPAR-independent reporter gene expression occurred 6 h after PPAR-dependent induction of the endogenous COX-2 gene. In contrast to PPAR-dependent COX-2 induction, which is not affected by NF-kappa B inhibitors, the PPAR-independent pathway was blocked by the NF-kappa B inhibitor MG132 or following deletion of NF-kappa B sites in the COX-2 promoter. The PPAR-independent effect of PUFA was mimicked by the PKC activators 4 beta-PMA and prostaglandin F-2 alpha, but was not blocked by the PKC inhibitor RO318425. The results demonstrate a pathway to the induction of COX-2 by PUFAs requiring NF-kappa B but not PPAR or PKC. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved